Cougars take two from Iowa Lakes to open up four-game set

The Barton Community College baseball team picked up a couple of non-conference victories Sunday at Lawson-Biggs Field with a 16-6 five inning run rule followed by a 7-3 nine inning victory over Iowa Lakes Community College.   Barton improves to 17-3 on the season in dropping the Lakers to 4-6 headed to Monday's 1:00 p.m. first pitch doubleheader.  

Trailing 2-0 after Ashtin Moxey's first collegiate home run in the second inning, disaster struck for Iowa lakes in the home half of the third as Barton would flip the tide scoring eleven runs, all coming with two outs.  Getting some help from the blustery south wind sweeping across the field, Barton took advantage getting triples by Corrigan Bartlett and Dawson Pomeroy, five walks, and one error with the big blow coming with bases loaded.  With the Cougars leading just 4-2, Alan Clark wasted little time in clearing the base paths blasting the second pitch to the scoreboard in left center for his second of the season exploding the lead out to 8-2.  Barton would tack on more coming from a Pomeroy's ground ball being misplayed producing another two runs leaving Barton on the top side of a 11-2 score when the inning was done.

Bo Lovdahl would join Moxey in belting his first collegiate long ball with a solo 2-out drive to left in slicing into the lead but Barton would answer in the home half by again capitalizing on a Laker error.  Paul Claassen kept the inning alive beating out a potential inning ending double play before swiping second three pitches later.  As the throw from the Lakers' catcher ricocheted off a sliding Claassen into short left center field, Claassen jumped to his feet beating out the outfield recovery covering the home plate dirt with a head first slide getting back Barton's nine run lead.

The fifth inning was ugly for both sides as the teams combined for seven runs and four errors, as two errors to begin the fifth would haunt the Cougars.  Iowa Lakes would push both across the plate getting the aid of a wild pitch followed by consecutive singles before a one-out walk and fielder's choice would cut Barton's lead to six.  The Lakers returned the favor in the home half with a leadoff error and walk before an eventual wild pitch would score one.  Brett Bonar then drew a walk and Drake Bliss was then hit by a pitch loading the bases.  With Claassen flying out, once again Clark came to the plate with the bases loaded lining a 1-1 pitch to right field to plate two with Bliss' game clinching run scoring after the Lakers committed their fourth error of the game ending the contest in the fifth inning.

Garret Rogers went the full five innings scattering four hits with two earned runs, walking four while striking out eight to improve to 3-2 on the season.

Clark had a big day out of the No. 9 hole going 3-for-4 adding a double to his home run and single driving in six of the Cougars ten RBIs.  Bartlett finished with two hits as the duo combined for five of Barton's nine hits.

Jordan Deadwyler gave the Lakers an early lead in game two driving in a two-out run with a double to deep center field.  The lead held steady until the fourth with Kaden Fowler ripped a single to right field scoring Pomeroy who led off the inning with the first of his two hits.  One out later Claassen beat out an infield single giving Barton the lead for good at 2-1.

With Clark having the big game one, Bartlett took over the second game going 4-for-4 including a one-out fifth inning single scoring one batter later as Pittman blistered his fourth triple of the year finding the right center gap pushing the lead to two.

A Deadwyler single opened up the Laker sixth, and following a two-out throwing error, would score on the throw to the plate cutting into Barton's lead at 3-2.

Barton stranded a Fowler leadoff single in the sixth, but Bartlett made sure Michael Sinks' leadoff single in the seventh wouldn't go for naught driving a double to right field.  Taylor Langston, who made a spectacular diving catch in the right center gap in the ensuing inning, put the lead out to three with a two-out single.

Following Langston's top ten play to the eighth, Sinks came through with two outs in the home half blasting his team leading third home run scoring Matthew Baca who had worn a pitch between the back numbers to begin inning. 

After Brant Millerborg sent the Lakers down in order in the eighth, Pomeroy took the bump for the ninth getting greeted on his first pitch with Moxey's second long ball of the day.  The Topeka freshman regrouped to strike out the next two batters before consecutive infield errors and a walk loaded the bases, with Pomeroy striking out his third of the inning to strand the bases loaded holding the 7-3 victory to earn his second save of the season.

Mason Hiser improved to 3-1 on the season going seven innings with seven strikeouts, one walk, and an earned run on six hits.  

Bartlett's perfect game two of four hits was joined by Sinks, Fowler, and Pomeroy with multiple hits as the Cougars finished with five extra base hits within their fourteen total.