Tigers come up just short in an attempted sweep of Butler

After dominating the Butler Community College baseball team in a pair of victories on Thursday in Arkansas City, the Cowley College Tigers won Saturday's opener in El Dorado by a score of 9-4 before losing the finale 9-8.

By winning three of the four games in the series, the Tigers are now 23-9 on the season. Butler is now 18-14.

"Progress was made everywhere," Cowley head coach Darren Burroughs said. "Overall, it was a good series for us. We wanted to win that final game but could not get it done."

In Saturday's opener, Cowley sophomore Keaton Campbell hit a grand slam in the first inning, and the Tigers went on to the 9-4 victory. Freshman Alex Conover added a solo home run in the second inning, and Cowley out-hit Butler 13-6.

Freshman second baseman Cade Baldridge led the hit parade by going 3-for-5 with three runs scored out of the leadoff spot.

Luke Singleton benefited from the run support as the sophomore allowed six hits and four runs in five innings pitched to improve his record to 4-1. Singleton struck out six and walked two.

Barrett Morgan followed with two spotless innings of relief.

Butler's Bradyn McClure (3-3) took the loss as he allowed nine hits and five runs in five innings.

Another home run by Conover in Saturday's nightcap helped the Tigers to an early 5-0 lead. Conover leads the team with eight home runs. However, the Grizzlies chased Cowley starting pitcher Mitchell Johnson from the game after scoring six runs in the bottom of the third inning.

Trailing 8-6 in the top of the eighth inning, Cowley got a solo home run from Kade Sheldon and a run-scoring double by Seth Dandridge to tie the game at 8-8.

The game would remain tied until Butler pinch hitter Cole Murrell hit a two-out walk-off home run against Conover (1-2) in the bottom of the ninth inning.

Butler pitcher Dayton Pelfrey (3-0) earned the win in relief.

Cowley out-hit Butler 14-10 as Dane Harvey, Dawson Williams, and Seth Dandridge had three hits apiece.

The Tigers will return home to play Hutchinson on Tuesday at 2 p.m. The teams will play a single, nine-inning game. Cowley defeated the Blue Dragons 23-22 in a slugfest played on March 12 in Hutchinson. The Blue Dragons (26-8) have won 10 games in a row and are in first place in the Jayhawk West.

"Hutchinson has got another good club and will provide us with another challenge on what could be a tough day to play weather-wise," Burroughs said. "This game will help prepare us for a big weekend series with Kansas City."

Score by inning:

Game three                  R H E

Cowley 4 1 0 0 0 2 2 – 9 13 0

Butler   0 2 0 2 0 0 0 – 4 6 0

Game four                         R H E

Cowley 0 3 2 0 0 0 1 2 0 – 8 14 1

Butler   0 0 6 0 1 0 1 0 1 – 9 10 0