No. 4-ranked Tigers earn first conference sweep

After winning three of four games in its first four conference series, the No. 4-ranked Cowley College baseball team earned its first conference sweep by winning all four games against Fort Scott. The Tigers completed the sweep with wins of 6-2 and 17-5 on Monday in Fort Scott.

Cowley (27-7) remains in a tie atop the Jayhawk Conference Eastern Division with Johnson County with a record of 16-4. Fort Scott (27-13) falls to 7-9 in the conference.

Leading game one 2-0 entering the bottom of the seventh inning, sophomore Tallen Bagwell came within three outs of a no-hitter before allowing a leadoff double to Kade Gavina. Bagwell then had an errant pickoff attempt sail into center field, allowing Gavina to advance to third before scoring on a balk.

The Greyhounds' Aaron Jamison followed with a solo home run, tying the game at 2-2.

Barrett Morgan then relieved Bagwell and allowed back-to-back hits to put runners at first and third with no out. After a strikeout and an intentional walk loaded the bases, Morgan struck out Kaleb Higgs and Cale Ortner to send the game to extra innings.

Cowley would benefit from a pair of Fort Scott errors in the top of the eighth inning as they scored four times to lead 6-2. Morgan (4-0) then struck out the side in the bottom of the eighth as he struck out six in two innings to earn the win.

Bagwell struck out nine and did not walk a batter while getting a no-decision.

"Tallen gave us a great chance to win; we just could not get the big hit." Cowley head coach Darren Burroughs said. "Still, it was good to see us score four in the eighth and find a way to win."

The Tigers' Dawson Williams and Seth Dandridge had three hits apiece, and Cowley out-hit Fort Scott 14-4.

After falling behind 2-0 in the series' final game, Cowley rattled off 13 straight runs and cruised to the 17-5 victory.

The Tigers had 16 hits and drew 12 walks as they finished with 30 hits and 17 walks in the doubleheader.

"We played a good series," Burroughs said. "Fort Scott is a hard place to win."

Shortstop Logan Groh went 2-for-3 with a double and five runs batted in, while Weston Thomas and Drake Fittro finished with three hits apiece. Fittro also drove in three runs.

"Drake is really starting to come on," Burroughs said.

Fort Scott hit three solo home runs in the loss.

Keegan Robertson started on the mound for Cowley and allowed three hits and two runs in 2 1/3 innings. Robertson struck out five and walked none. Cameron Mock, Chance Accord, and Mitchell Johnson pitched the final 3 2/3 innings and combined for four strikeouts and no walks.

Cowley will open a four-game series against Allen Community College by hosting a doubleheader against the Red Devils on Thursday at 1 p.m. Allen (10-20) is 5-9 in the conference.

"Having played on Sunday and Monday, we will have to adjust our pitching a bit, but we will be ready to go," Burroughs said.

Score by inning:

Game one                        R H E

Cowley  1 0 0 1 0 0 0 4 – 6 14 1

Ft. Scott 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 – 2 4 5

Game two                      R H E

Cowley  0 2 0 6 5 4 0 – 17 16 0

Ft. Scott 2 0 0 0 2 1 0 – 5 9 2