Hutchinson CC Sports Information
The No. 9-ranked Cowley Tigers baseball team had the reputation of being an offensive juggernaut. They left Hobart-Detter Field on Saturday with nary a tarnish to that reputation.
Cowley hit a combined nine home runs, including five in one inning, to sweep the Hutchinson Community College baseball team in a non-KJCCC doubleheader.
The Tigers hit three homers in the opening game and defeated Hutchinson 14-13 in Game 1. Cowley then unloaded six homers – five in the fifth inning, including three homers in a row – to defeat Hutchinson 15-2 in seven innings.
The Blue Dragons fall to 2-3 overall, while Cowley improves to 4-0. The Tigers have combined for 80 runs and 17 home runs in their first four games of the season.
GAME 1 RECAP
Hutchinson made two big rallies in Game 1.
Cowley led 6-1 after 1 1-2 innings, but scored four runs in each of the second and third innings. Mason Lowe executed a hit-and-run to tie the game in the third at 6-all. Hutch took the lead on a Jack Torosian RBI single. Hutch then added a Ben McLaughlin sacrifice fly and a long Austin Callahan home run to right field for a four-run inning and a 9-6 lead after three innings.
The lead was short-lived as Cowley immediately scored six runs in the fourth inning – the big blow was a Felix Rondeau grand slam. The Tigers tacked on an unearned run in the fifth to lead 13-9.
Back game the Blue Dragons in the sixth. Callahan hit his second home run to lead off the sixth. Three batters later, Will Reetz tripled to the right-field corner to score pinch-hitter Jenner Steele.
Two batters later, with two out, pinch hitter Sterling Sutcliffe hit a two-out, two-run home run to left-center field to tie the game at 13-all.
Cowley scored the go-ahead run in the top of the seventh when Bryce Madron led off with a single, took second on a passed ball, stole third and scored on a throwing error for a 14-13 lead.
The Blue Dragons loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the seventh, but couldn't convert the opportunity. The Dragons stranded seven runners on base.
Hutchinson out-hit Cowley 13-11 in Game 1.
Callahan was 3 for 5 with two home runs and three RBIs. P.J. Loucks was 2 for 5 with a double. Delong also had a double.
The Blue Dragons used five pitchers in the game. Zane Covey was the losing pitcher, giving up the unearned run in the seventh. He threw 2 1-3 innings with four strikeouts. Blue Dragon pitching walked seven Cowley batters in the game.
GAME 2 RECAP
Cowley scored four runs in the first two innings, but Hutchinson cut that lead in half on Ben McLaughlin's two-out, two-run single in the third.
The Tigers then erupted in the top of the fifth for seven runs in the fifth inning. Cowley hit five home runs in that inning, the most against the Blue Dragons in a single inning in program history.
The Blue Dragons had a season-low three hits – McLaughlin, Callahan and Sutcliff, who doubled.
Ryan Schlotzhauer (1-1) took the loss for the Blue Dragons.
Hutchinson plays Coffeyville in a four-game series next weekend, two on Thursday in Coffeyville and two next Saturday at Hobart-Detter Field at 1 p.m.