Pitching leads Tiger baseball team to conference-opening wins

The No. 20-ranked Cowley College baseball team got a pair of strong outings from its starting pitchers in conference-opening wins over Coffeyville Thursday at the Tiger Baseball Field. Cowley defeated the Red Ravens by scores of 7-0 and 6-3.

Sophomore Chance Cox continued to shine in game one as he spun six scoreless innings, while allowing only two hits and one walk. Cox (2-0) struck out five and has allowed just one run in 15 innings pitched.

The Tigers got to Coffeyville starting pitcher Emmanuel Pena for six runs in the first two innings. Cowley managed just six hits in the opener, but drew 10 walks. First baseman Luke Shanahan went 3-for-4 with a run batted in, while leadoff batter Jadyn McNealy reached base safely all four times at bat and scored twice.

Freshman Brett McComas finished off the victory by pitching a 1-2-3 seventh inning to go along with a pair of strikeouts.

Sophomore Carlton Perkins gave Cowley another solid start in the nightcap by going the first four innings on the mound. Perkins allowed three hits and two unearned runs, while striking out four.

However, Coffeyville starting pitcher Carlos Lopez held the Tigers scoreless over his six innings of work and left the game with the Red Ravens in front 2-0.

With Lopez removed from the game, Cowley would score five runs on two walks, three batters hit by pitch, and only two hits in the bottom of the seventh inning. Sophomore third baseman Haden O'Toole had a run scoring single in the inning and finished 2-for-4 with three walks and three runs scored in the doubleheader.

Tanner Vaughn (2-0) followed Perkins on the mound with three spotless innings of relief as he retired all nine batters faced. Cole Abbott would finish off the 6-3 victory by allowing four hits and one run in two innings of relief.

McNealy had another solid game at the plate by going 3-for-4 with a run batted in, while Shanahan went 1-for-2 with a double, a pair of walks, and an RBI.

Cowley is now 7-5 overall and 2-0 in the Jayhawk Conference Eastern Division. Coffeyville falls to 10-9 overall and 0-2 in the conference.

The teams will conclude their four-game series by playing a doubleheader at Coffeyville Saturday beginning at 1 p.m.

Score by inning:

Game one                         R H E

Coffeyville 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 – 0 2 1

Cowley      3 3 0 0 1 0 x – 7 6 1

Game two                               R H E

Coffeyville 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 1 0 – 3 7 0

Cowley      0 0 0 0 0 0 5 1 x – 6 7 1