Tigers come up short in 11-2 loss of Region VI title game

Playing its sixth game at the Region VI Championship at Wichita State University's Eck Stadium, the fourth-seeded Cowley College Tigers could not find any pitchers to neutralize the second-seeded Johnson County batters in Sunday's 11-2 season-ending defeat.

After Chance Cox and Jack Hill pitched Cowley to a 7-2 win over Johnson County earlier in the day, the Tigers had seven pitchers combine to allow 15 hits, seven walks, and 11 runs in the championship game.

Cowley finishes the season with a record of 39-22, while Johnson County improves its record to 55-8. The Cavaliers advance to play May 27-June 2 at the JUCO World Series in Grand Junction, CO.

Making the start for the Tigers was freshman Danny Satterlee (4-4), who stranded a pair of baserunners in each of the first two innings and had two more runners on base in the bottom of the third before being relieved by freshman Cade Perkins with runners at the corner and nobody out.

Ryan Callahan greeted Perkins with a run-scoring single to put the Cavaliers in front 1-0. Jeremy Rader added a second run on a sacrifice fly to center field three batters later.

Cooper Combs would add to Johnson County's lead with a two-run homer in the bottom of the fourth inning. Carlton Perkins followed Cade Perkins on the mound and allowed a third run in the inning as the lead ballooned to 5-0.

Cowley finally got to Johnson County left-hander Luc Fladda for a run in the top of the fifth as Eaden Holt tripled and came around to score on a sacrifice fly by Trayson Miller. Unfortunately, the Tiger pitching could not contain Johnson County as the Cavaliers scored two runs in the sixth and four more in the eighth to win 11-2.

After three straight trips to the JUCO World Series, Cowley will have to watch as the Cavaliers serve as this year's representative from the Jayhawk Conference.

 "Johnson County has a really good club, and we just fell short of our overall goals," Cowley head coach Darren Burroughs said. "We have high standards around here, so I am disappointed for everyone."

Fladda went the distance on the mound, allowing only seven hits and two runs as he improved his record to 12-0.

Sophomore catcher Logan Vaughan and freshman third baseman Keaton Campbell had two hits a piece for the Tigers, while sophomore shortstop Haden O'Toole went 1-for-2 with a run batted in.

Cowley will say goodbye to 11 sophomores that helped Cowley win 93 games over the past two seasons.

"We had several guys have good careers here, and we will miss them," Burroughs said.

Score by inning:                 R H E

Cowley  0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 – 2 7 0

Johnson 0 0 2 3 0 2 0 4 x – 11 15 0