Cowboys get one win in tourney and one regular season win.
The fifth annual Cowboy Classic baseball tournament had to make a last-minute switch from pool play to a five-team, double-elimination format after Temple dropped out of the tourney.
Thackerville claimed the tournament title with a 14-4 victory over Waurika in the championship game.
The tournament was played last Thursday and Friday which was a wise move considering last Saturday’s frigid weather.
For the Ryan Cowboys it was a one-day appearance in their own tournament.
The Cowboys opened the tournament with a 7-5 loss to Big Pasture but managed a 10-3 victory over Grandfield in an elimination game.
In the next round, however, Waurika eliminated the Cowboy nine with a 10-3 victory.
The Eagles advanced to the championship game by defeating Big Pasture, 6-4, after Thackerville had handed Big Pasture its first loss of the tournament.
For the Cowboys, the loss to the Rangers was a tough won considering Ryan had managed a 15-13 victory over Big Pasture earlier in the week.
In the tournament contest with Big Pasture, the two squads ended the first inning tied at 1-1. The Rangers, however, exploded for six runs in the top of the third inning to take a commanding 7-1 lead.
The Cowboys were able to hold Big Pasture scoreless the rest of the way, while picking up two runs in the fourth and one run each in the fifth and sixth inning to draw within 7-5, but the time limit ended the game after six innings.
The victory over Grandfield was also shortened by the time limit, but the Cowboys scored in every inning to secure the win.
A double by Joseph Martin and a walk by Grayson Tomberlin helped give the Cowboys a 1-0 lead after one inning.
In the second inning, Andrew Villerreal reached on a walk to open the inning and after two were out, Walter Snider got an RBI-single and he eventually came around to score giving the Cowboys a 3-0 advantage.
Grandfield cut the margin to 3-1 with a single tally in the top of the third inning, but the Cowboys answered the modest Bearcat rally with three more runs in the bottom of the third.
G. Tomberlin and Tate Kimbro led the inning off with a pair of singles and them Dawson Tomberlin picked up a two-run double. Tomberlin came around to score after a Grandfield error to extend the Cowboys’ lead to 6-1.
In the bottom of the fourth, G. Tomberlin tripled after one out and then scored before the Bearcats could retire the Cowboys. Ryan now led, 7-1, heading to the fifth inning.
In the top of the fifth inning the Bearcats produced three singles coupled with an error and three stolen bases accounted for two runs cutting the lead to 7-3.
The Cowboys ended all hopes of another rally by Grandfield by scoring three runs in the bottom of the inning. Those runs came without the benefit of a base hit thanks to two walks, three stolen bases and two Grandfield errors that put the final score at 10-3.
This set up an elimination game between Waurika and the Cowboys.
The Cowboys got off to a good start in the top of the first inning as D. Tomberlin and Martin led off by reaching base to give Ryan a 2-0 lead.
The Eagles responded in the bottom half of the inning, however, striking for six runs. Bryson Hernandez, Hunter Wesberry, Zachary Brown and Gatlin Black led off the inning by reaching base and all four came around to score.
Austin Dyer and Michael Bryant got on base after one out and eventually scored before the end of the inning to give the Eagles a 6-2 advantage.
After a scoreless second inning, the Eagles added two more runs in the bottom of the third inning sending eight batters to the plate.
Jordan Watkins and Dyer led off the inning by getting on base and Colton Bryant got a two-run single to put the Eagles in front 8-2. The Eagles left two men stranded before the end of the inning.
The Eagles were not finished, however, sending eight more batters to the plate in the fourth inning. Watkins and Dyer both got one-out walks and eventually came around the score to give the Eagles a 10-3 lead after four innings.
In the fifth inning, the Eagles scored three more runs and scored a run-rule victory over the Cowboys. Brown, Black and Dyer scored runs for the Eagles to seal the victory.
Dyer finished the game with four runs scored after reaching base three times on walks.
This set up another elimination game for the Eagles and Waurika responded to the challenge by scoring a 6-4 victory over Big Pasture earning a spot in the championship game against Thackerville.
The Wildcats were too much for the Eagles and earned the title with a run-rule victory. It was the second invitational tournament the Wildcats have won this season.
Earlier in the week the Cowboys picked up their second win over the season at Big Pasture.
Ryan got off to a 2-0 lead after one inning when Martin reached base and after a G. Tomberlin single and an error, Martin put the first run on the board for the Cowboys.
G. Tomberlin eventually scored on a two-out, RBI-single by River Williams.
Things got really interesting in the bottom of the third inning as the Rangers scored five runs with only one hit. A Ryan error and three walks helped the Rangers snag the lead.
The Cowboys regained the lead in the top of the fourth exploding for eight runs to hold a 10-5 lead.
Singles by Martin, C. Villerreal and A. Villerreal along with four bases on balls and an error accounted for the five Cowboy runs.
In the bottom of the fourth, the Rangers cut into the lead with three runs of their own. Two errors and two walks helped the Rangers cut the Ryan lead to 10-8 heading into the fifth inning.
Big Pasture took the lead in the bottom of the fifth with three more runs. An error, a fielder’s choice, a walk, a single and a double contributed to the rally that put the Rangers in front, 11-10, heading to the sixth inning.
Ryan answered with four runs in the top of the sixth with three walks and a single by Martin helping produce the go-ahead runs. The Cowboys also left the bases loaded but Ryan held a 14-10 lead.
After holding Big Pasture scoreless in the bottom of the sixth, the Cowboys managed another run in the top of the seventh inning. Martin was hit by a pitch and eventually scored giving the Cowboys a 15-10 lead.
Big Pasture tried to rally as the Rangers scored two runs with one out, but the Cowboys were able to get the final two outs.
D. Tomberlin and A. Villerreal each paced the Cowboys at the plate with two hits apiece. Martin scored four runs for the Cowboys in the contest which ties the school record for most runs scored by an individual in a game.
Ryan was to have met Waurika and Dickson on Tuesday on the Eagles’ home diamond.
Today the Cowboys travel to Grandfield for a contest with the Bearcats and on Friday the Cowboys are scheduled to host Alex on Larry Ninman Field at the Bob Givens Sports complex.
The Cowboys close out the regular season Monday at Geronimo with a three-way matchup with the Blue Jays and Waurika.
