The Clarion-Goldfield-Dows Cowboys baseball team returned to action on Tuesday, as they made the short trek to Fort Dodge to take on the Gaels of St. Edmond in North Central Conference action at Harlan Rogers Sports Complex. CGD entered at 3-4, while St. Edmond entered at 1-5.
Game 1 would be a more defensive matchup, as the Cowboys scratched across a run on a steal of home by Tristan Kakacek to go up 1-0. The Cowboys added 2 runs in the 2nd on a Paxton Lingenfelter RBI single and a Tristan Kakacek RBI fielder’s choice to put CGD up 3-0. St. Edmond answered in the bottom half with 3 runs to tie the game at 3-3, but Clarion answered in the 5th with a Chaz Lane RBI single that would become the difference maker, as CGD won 4-3.
Jacob Ruba would go 2-for-3 with a pair of singles, while Paxton Lingenfelter, Tristan Kakacek and Chaz Lane all tallied RBI. Owen Sweeney was the winning pitcher, going 5 innings an allowing 3 runs on 4 hits and striking out 5.
Game 2 would see much more offense, as the Cowboys put up a run in the 1st off an Ethan Hasty RBI single, followed by 3 run in the 2nd off a Chaz Lane RBI double, an error and a Tristan Kakacek sac hit to put CGD ahead 4-0. St. Edmond responded with 2 runs in the 3rd, 4 runs in the 5th and a run in the 6th to lead 7-4, but the Cowboys had a rally left. 2 runs scored in the 6th off a 2-run RBI double by Chaz Lane to bring the score to 7-6, as Owen Sweeney tied the game in the 7th drawing a bases-loaded hit by pitch. Chaz Lane then capped his career game with a walkoff RBI single in the next at-bat to give CGD a come-from-behind 8-7 win.
Lane would go 3-for-4 in the game with 2 doubles and 4 RBI, while Owen Sweeney went 1-for-3 with a single and an RBI. Younger brother Caleb Sweeney was the winning pitcher in relief, going 2.2 innings and allowing 4 runs on 4 hits and striking out 1.
Clarion-Goldfield-Dows baseball returns to action on Thursday, when they travel to Sheffield to take on West Fork in non-conference action at 7:30 PM.