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By Bret Mitchell
HCC Sports
Information
Sunday, May 11,
2008
WICHITA – The Hutchinson Community College baseball team rallied from five
runs down in the final two innings, but Cowley third-baseman Tom O’Gorman
had the final say with a bottom-of-the-ninth two-run home run that lifted
the Jayhawk East champions past the Blue Dragons 8-6 in the winner’s bracket
semifinals of the 2008 Region VI Tournament on Sunday night at
Lawrence-Dumont Stadium.
Hutchinson (39-15) falls to the loser’s bracket where it must win
five-straight games to win its first regional championship since 2005. That
quest begins at 1 p.m. on Monday when the Blue Dragons play host to Kansas
City in an elimination game. A victory over KCK means another elimination
game on Monday at 7 p.m.
Two
critical Blue Dragon errors led to four Cowley runs as the Tigers built a
6-1 lead entering the eighth inning. But Hutchinson, which out-hit Cowley
11-7, rallied back to tie the game with two runs in the eighth and three in
the ninth, tying the game on redshirt-freshman Adam Roy’s groundout RBI to
drive home sophomore Stewart Hoover to tie the game at 6-all.
Freshman Kyle Rosine, who threw a perfect eighth inning in relief, hit Tiger
leadoff hitter Bryce Cole to start the ninth. HCC head coach brought in
closer Ryan Scoles. After a failed sacrifice bunt attempt, Scoles gave up
the game-winning homer to O’Gorman, sending Cowley into Monday’s winner’s
bracket final to face Johnson County.
“It’s
definitely a heartbreaker because obviously we wanted to go the other way,”
Roy said. “We’ll let this one hurt us for now, and come back tomorrow.”
“This
loss hurts, but it’s also a drive for tomorrow,” sophomore Matthew Yerby
said.
Yerby
led the Blue Dragon offense, going 2 for 3, reaching base in all four plate
appearances. Yerby stole a career-high five bases and scored two runs. The
Blue Dragons were 9 for 9 in stolen bases against the Tigers.
Sophomore Eric DeBlanc was 2 for 3 with two runs scored. Roy finished 2 for
5 with a double, a run scored and two RBIs. Freshman Brett Delcambre also
had a double, going 2 for 4.
Four
Blue Dragon pitchers allowed just seven hits, but two walks, two hit
batters, three wild pitches and three errors were costly for the HCC staff.
“I
was a little too cautious early,” Crookes said. “The home run’s obviously
the loudest thing, but that’s not what did it.”
Sophomore Ben Graham lasted just four innings and gave up five hits and four
runs, only two were earned. He struck out three and walked one. Freshman
Jason Borchardt threw three innings in relief, allowing only one hit, but
two runs; one earned and struck out four. Rosine (0-2) took the loss for
HCC.
Cowley starter Stephen Kolscheen gave up just one run in his first seven
innings before being relieved one out into the eighth. Tiger reliever Chase
Roten, who allowed the tying run in the top of the ninth, got the win.
The
Tigers led 2-0 after two innings. The Dragons got onto the board when
sophomore Clint Bieberle’s sacrifice fly drove in Yerby to cut the deficit
to 2-1. Cowley added two more runs in the fourth and sixth innings to lead
6-1.
An
RBI double by Roy and a run-scoring single by Delcambre in the eighth helped
HCC cut into the Cowley lead at 6-3.
Yerby
was hit with a pitch to start the ninth. Then with one out and after a
DeBlanc walk, Hoover singled to five in Yerby to cut the lead to 6-4.
DeBlanc and Hoover then executed a double steal and a throwing error by
Cowley catcher Andy Petz allowed DeBlanc to score and Hoover to move to
third with one out. Roy then grounded out to second to drive home Hoover
with the game-tying run, knotting the game at 6-all.
That
set up O’Gorman’s ninth-inning game-winning home run.
GAME NOTES
– The
nine HCC stolen bases were a team season high. … The home run allowed by
Scoles was his third of the season. … HCC won two regular-season games vs.
Cowley this season. … Monday’s matchup with KCK is the first time the teams
will meet this season. … Clint Bieberle extended his current hitting streak
to nine games. Stewart Hoover extended his hitting streak to seven games. …
Eric DeBlanc had his team-high 19th-multi-hit game. … HCC had two batters
hit with pitches to run the team record to 128 this season.
<HCC-COWLEY BOXSCORE>
OTHER QUOTES
Head Coach Kyle Crookes
On
the last inning …
“The
ninth inning is a good indication of what should have happened all game.”
On
Monday’s matchup …
“KCK
is a very good team, but I feel like our club has got a chance to fight
their way through.”
First Baseman Adam Roy
On
the early offense struggles …
“We
just didn’t get the timely hits that we needed.”
Designated Hitter Matthew Yerby
On
the early struggles …
“I
think we tried to do too much. You have to stay within yourself and do what
you know how to do.”
On
the baserunning …
“The
pitcher was really easy to take bases off of, and we capitalized.” |
