Bats wake up to help Cowley salvage final contest of three-game series

After being held to just four runs in a pair of losses at Panola College on Friday in Carthage, TX, the No. 17-ranked Cowley College baseball team responded by scoring 15 runs in a 15-5 win of the series finale on Saturday.

The Tigers got a solo home run from sophomore shortstop Jadyn McNealy in a 3-1 loss of the opener. McNealy, Alex Conover, and Cade Baldridge had two hits apiece, but the rest of Cowley's lineup combined to go just 1-of-17.

Luke Singleton started on the mound for Cowley and allowed one run on six hits in three innings pitched. With the score tied at 1-1, Panola scratched across two runs in the bottom of the fifth inning off Tiger reliever Tallen Bagwell (0-1) to lead 3-1.

Nathan Love started on the mound for Panola and allowed only two hits and no runs in four innings pitched. Matt Huey earned the win in relief as he went the final three innings and allowed five hits and one run.

Cowley started fast in the second game played on Friday as first baseman Dane Harvey belted a two-run homer in the top of the first inning. However, Panola third baseman JM Long hit a three-run homer off Tiger starting pitcher Cody Airington in the bottom of the first.

Cowley would tie the game in the top of the second inning when Ian Luce hit an RBI single to score Seth Dandridge with the tying run.

The game would remain tied heading into the bottom of the fifth inning when Panola manufactured the go-ahead run off Tiger reliever Cade Perkins (1-1) without the benefit of a hit.

The Ponies would score three runs off Cowley's Delton Roberts in the bottom of the eighth inning to finish off the 7-3 win.

Harvey had two of Cowley's six hits in the loss.

Panola starting pitcher Titus Von Kapff struck out eight and allowed only six hits and one earned run in eight innings pitched.

In the series finale played on Saturday, the game was tied at 1-1 heading into the fourth inning. Tiger starting pitcher Iziah Salinas struck out six and allowed only one hit and one run in three innings of work.

After Keaton Campbell doubled home Kade Sheldon with the go-ahead run, McNealy followed with a two-run double. McNealy would later steal home in the six-run fourth inning. McNealy would add an RBI single in a seven-run fifth inning for the Tigers, while Campbell had an RBI triple in the inning.

After combining for 13 hits in the first two games of the series, Cowley pounded out 15 hits in the finale. Sheldon and Campbell had three hits apiece, while Campbell and McNealy each drove in three runs.

Leadoff hitter Alex Conover also played well, going 2-for-4 with a double, triple, and three runs batted in.

Mitchell Johnson (1-0) pitched a scoreless fourth inning to earn the win.

"We are still trying to develop and learn," Cowley head coach Darren Burroughs said. "We saw improvement in some areas, but still need to be more consistent."

Cowley is now 3-3 on the season. The Tigers will return home to play a four-game series against 10^th-ranked Iowa Western (4-2). The teams will play one game on Friday beginning at 1 p.m. followed by two games on Saturday and one on Sunday.

"Iowa Western will challenge us," Burroughs said. "We expect to see more improvement throughout our lineup."

Score by inning:

Game one                   R H E

Cowley 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 – 1 7 1

Panola  1 0 0 0 2 0 x – 3 8 1

Game two                         R H E

Cowley 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 – 3 6 0

Panola  3 0 0 0 1 0 0 3 x – 7 8 1

Game three                   R H E

Cowley 0 0 1 6 7 0 1 – 15 15 3

Panola  0 0 1 0 1 3 0 – 5 5 2