Tigers’ out-slug Butler 17-16, will play again at 7 p.m.

For the third time in as many days, the third-seed Cowley College Tiger baseball team fell behind by three runs before rallying. This time, the Tigers twice trailed the eighth-seed Butler Grizzlies before coming from behind to win a wild, 17-16 contest Friday morning at the Plains District/Region VI Tournament held at Wichita State University's Eck Stadium.

Cowley advances to play again tonight at 7 p.m. in the double-elimination tournament.

Butler struck for three runs in the first and second innings against Tiger starting pitcher Luke Singleton as they held leads of 3-0 and 6-3. However, Cowley chased Butler starting pitcher Austin Bagnall in the second inning after scoring three runs in the first inning and 11 more in the second to lead 14-6.

Jadyn McNealy's grand slam highlighted the 11-run outburst. The home run by McNealy was his fourth of the season.

But, Butler responded with nine unanswered runs to lead 15-14.

The Tigers tied the game with a run in the bottom of the sixth inning and then regained the lead with two runs in the eighth.

With outs hard to come by, Cowley freshman Tallen Bagwell allowed a run in the top of the ninth before finishing off the 17-16 win. Bagwell allowed just the one run in three innings of relief.

McNealy and Dane Harvey each went 4-for-4 as Cowley pounded out 15 hits.

Cowley (43-17) will face the winner of the Hutchinson (47-12) vs. Kansas City (47-11) contest. The winner of that game will play Saturday at 1 p.m. at Eck Stadium.

Butler ends the season with a record of 33-27.

Score by inning:                     R H E

Butler   3 3 0 4 4 1 0 0 1 –    16 13 2

Cowley 3 (11) 0 0 0 1 0 2 x – 17 15 2