Pleasant Valley, Mo., sophomore left-hander Eldon Little throws a pitch to a Carl Albert State batter late in Sunday's second game of a non-conference doubleheader at Lions Field. Little pitched three innings of one-hit relief and got the victory when his teammates scored in the bottom of the ninth inning of a 3-2 victory that completed a sweep. (Tribune photo/Scott Nuzum) [Click to enlarge]

That seems to be how it is when Fort Scott Community College's baseball team plays well. The Greyhounds are loose, yet focused. They're having fun while taking the game seriously.

Greyhound head coach Chris Moddelmog suggested that the 'Hounds were a bit tight in dropping a Jayhawk Conference-Eastern Division doubleheader against Cowley Saturday at Lions Park and that even carried over into the first inning of the opener of a make-up twinbill against Carl Albert State (Okla.) on Sunday.

"We're still kind of feeling for the game at times," Fort Scott head coach Chris Moddelmog said. "We're trying to get some of these young guys and the veteran guys to just go play the game. You have to relax and enjoy playing. (Saturday), we were a little tight. A good team coming in and things didn't go our way."

Cowley, ranked No. 8 in the NJCAA's pre-season Division I poll, took a 3-1, 16-1 sweep Saturday. But the Greyhounds overcame a five-run first inning by Carl Albert in that first game Sunday and posted a 9-8, 3-2 sweep with the second game going nine innings.

Saturday: Cowley 3-16, Fort Scott 1-1.

The Tigers (2-0 in the East, 4-8 overall) scored twice in the top of the fourth inning of the opener on three hits. It could have been more but the Greyhound defense got pitcher Ryan Daniel (1-1) out of a two-on, two-out situation.

The 'Hounds (2-2, 8-5) got their only run in the bottom of the fifth. Zach Caldwell drew a leadoff walk, stole second, moved to third on a passed ball and scored when Jason Houston beat the throw on a two-out grounder to short.

Cowley got an insurance run in the sixth, then sent Alex Schell to close the door, which he did as he allowed only one baserunner in the final two innings.

The Tigers scored in every inning of the run-ruled second game but the first. It was already 7-0 when Cowley added nine in the top of the sixth on five hits and three errors.

It was one of those horrific innings in which nothing seemed to go right. The Tigers sent 15 batters to the plate in the inning.

"It's like I told them, 'Fellas, baseball's a crazy game'," Moddelmog said. "If you make one error, that ball's going to keep finding you.' We just have to get a little tougher mentally."

Fort Scott had four hits in the opener, one each by Houston, Joel Fisk, Travis Cruz and Zach Higgins. They only had two in the second game, those coming from the bats of Trevor Geist and Corbin Reagan.

Sunday: Fort Scott 9-3, Carl Albert State 8-2.

The Vikings (3-9) got those five runs in the top of the first inning of the day, but this time the Greyhounds didn't let themselves get down.

Fort Scott got a single run in the bottom of the first and then got three in the second.

Carl Albert got two more in the third and one in the fourth, extending its lead to 9-4. But the 'Hounds continued to battle, scoring once in the fourth, then getting four runs off two Viking pitchers in the bottom of the sixth.

Zach Juliano kept the Vikes off the bases in the seventh as he earned his second save of the season.

Drew Beasley (1-0) earned his first win of the season as he came into the game in relief after the first inning. He allowed three unearned runs on two hits and three walks.

"Drew Beasley came in and did a heck of a job," Moddelmog said. "It's tough on these pitchers. They all want a chance and when they get it, sometimes they try too hard. Drew came in did a great job."

The Greyhounds had 10 hits, two each from the bats of Brandon Davis -- who hit his second home run of the season -- Zach Higgins and Brandt Barnes. Geist and Daniel each drove in two runs and Davis scored three times.

Game two was, obviously, tighter. The 'Hounds scored single runs in the first and fifth innings but the Vikings got two in the top of the sixth.

Higgins reached base on a one-out single in the bottom of the seventh but was stranded there. The side went down in order in the eighth.

The winning rally started with two out and no one on. Travis Briggs drew a walk, then got to third when Higgins doubled. Carl Albert intentionally walked Zach Caldwell to load the bases.

Barnes then came through with a single up the middle to get Briggs home.

Eldon Little (1-2), Fort Scott's lefty closer, held Carl Albert to one hit and a walk while striking out two as he pitched the final three innings.

"Little finally did what he's supposed to do," Moddelmog said. "He deserves that win. He's had a couple of tough losses."

Geist pitched the first six innings, allowing six hits and no walks while striking out two.

Higgins went three for four four the Greyhounds. The other six hits were scattered through the lineup.

"Our brand of baseball is having fun and being loose and staying aggressive," Moddelmog said. "Today, we hung in there. The guys just kept playing. We've told them, 'Hitting and pitching won't be there all the time but hustle, baserunning and intensity, those are things we can control every day. We ran the bases well and put pressure on them."

The Greyhounds entertain Johnson County this afternoon at 1 p.m. in a conference doubleheader before going off to Arizona for a spring break trip in which they will play five games in five days.

"Those are big," Moddelmog said of the Johnson County games. "We'll have our No. 1 and No. 2 starters on the mound. We wanted to be 4-2 or 5-1 in the conference before we leave for Arizona and that's still within reach. When we relax and play, we have a chance to be OK."

Cowley............... 000 201 0 -- 3 5 1

Fort Scott.......... 000 010 0 -- 1 4 1

WP -- Kohlsch. Sv. -- Schell. LP -- Daniel (1-1).

HR -- none.

Cowley............... 021 229 x -- 16 13 1

Fort Scott.......... 000 001 x -- 1 2 4

WP -- Drinnen. LP -- Ricketts (1-1).

HR -- none.

Carl Albert......... 502 100 0 -- 8 5 2

Fort Scott.......... 130 104 x -- 9 10 4

WP -- Beasley (1-0). LP -- Haskins. Sv. -- Juliano (2).

HR -- Fort Scott: Davis (2).

Carl Albert..... 000 002 000 -- 2 7 1

Fort Scott...... 100 010 001 -- 3 9 1

WP -- Little (1-2). LP -- Homer.

Two out when winning run scored.