Chapman right hander Benson Smiley had complete control of the game from the pitching rubber as the Chapman Fighting Irish prevailed over the Abilene Cowboys 9-1 Tuesday in Chapman. The junior righty held the Cowboys at bay allowing just one run on four hits through seven innings. Smiley struck out eight while walking four.

Irish senior catcher Aven Woods provided the punch in the Chapman batting order with two hits including a home run driving in three runs. The Cowboys aided the Irish scoring by committing five defensive errors in the contest. Chapman plated two runs in the first, four in the fourth and three in the sixth. Abilene pushed across its only run in the fourth.

Abilene junior righthander Ethan Evans started on the mound for the Cowboys allowing nine runs, two earned, on five hits. He walked five and struck out three in his four and two-thirds innings of work. Senior Landyn Rogers tossed the final one and one third scoreless innings walking one and striking out one.

Woods two-run dinger came in the fifth with two outs after an Abilene error extended the inning allowing Austin Smiley to reach safely scoring a run. And then Woods busted a 1-0 pitch over the left field fence for two more Irish scores. Woods also doubled in the game and Henry Corn, Hunter Kidd and Gavin Miller all had singles for the Irish.

Abilene’s Nolan Wilkins, Jake Bartley, Ethan Evans and Lucas Trower had singles in the game for the Cowboys and senior Levi Evans had the lone RBI on a fielders choice ground out in the top of the fourth.

The Cowboy bats came alive in game two rapping out 18 hits that saw Ethan Evans and Kayden Thrower both going four for four at the plate. Thrower had two doubles and scored four times in the win. Ethan Evans doubled twice and drove in three runs in the Cowboy 19-7 win. Jake Bartley popped three hits by driving in three and Levi Evans had two hits with two RBI. Freshman Lucas Trower went two for two with a double and three RBI. Senior Canyn Taylor also had two RBI with a hit.

Abilene jumped on Irish starter Payton Landerville for four runs in the first and three more in the second on eight hits. The Cowboys added a single run in the third and then exploded for eight runs in the fourth and three more in the fifth after the Irish had clawed back for an 8-5 deficit heading to the fourth. Five other Irish relievers toed the mound to finish the game allowing a combined 12 earned runs on 10 hits.

Senior Lane Hoekman, the second Cowboy reliever, earned the win allowing two unearned runs on three hits over two and one thirds innings. Bartley started for the Cowboys, going two and two thirds allowing five runs, two earned, on two hits. He struck out six while walking four. Levi Evans replaced Bartley walking two before Hoekman stepped to the rubber to finish the game with the victory for Abilene.

With the double header split, both teams moved to an 8-12 record and as of Wednesday morning both were still in contention for Class 4A postseason with the Cowboys moving up to 14th in the West standings and Chapman going to the 15th seed. The Top 16 teams advance to the 4A bracket following the May 16 seedings.

Abilene will end its regular season Friday at Wamego while Chapman travels to St. Mary’s Friday and then to Wamego next Tuesday.

Abilene        0 0 0 1 0 0 0 – 1-4-5

Chapman     2 0 0 4 3 0 x – 9-5-1

TB: Wilkins 1, E. Evans 1, Bartley 1, Trower 1; Woods 6, Corn 1, Miller 1, Kidd 1.

Abilene         4 3 1 8 3 – 19-18-4

Chapman      0 2 3 0 2 – 7-5-2

2B: L. Evans, Thrower 2, L. Hoekman, E. Evans 2, Bartley, Trower; Miller

TB: Taylor 1, L. Evans 3, Thrower 6, L. Hoekman 2, E. Evans 6, Bartley 4, Holloway 1, Trower 3; B. Smiley 1, A. Smiley 1, Woods 1, Miller 2, Leighty 1.

HBP: Thrower, L. Hoekman.

SB: L. Evans, Thrower, L. Hoekman, E. Evans.