Life on the road in the Jayhawk can be unkind as the Barton Community College baseball team experienced that Saturday afternoon in El Dorado, KS dropping its' doubleheader to Butler Community College 3-2 and 4-1 from McDonald Stadium.
The Cougar offense was held in check throughout the day manufacturing just three runs over the 16-inning twin bill generating six hits in the opener before being held to just four knocks in the nightcap.
Splitting the four-game weekend set, Barton falls to 8-4 in conference play and drops to 16-9 on the season while the Grizzlies move to 7-5 in conference play and 16-8 overall. Seeing its' six-game winning streak snapped, the Cougars will look to start a new one Monday as they host the development squad of Kansas Wesleyan University in a 3:00 p.m. seven inning doubleheader from Lawson-Biggs Field before hitting the road Thursday to open a four game weekend set against Garden City Community College.
Game 1 Recap
The Cougars mounted the first run of the contest in the top of the third as Colter Maldonado led the inning off reaching on a dropped third strike. Ensuing one of two Butler errors allowing Alex Rodgers to reach, Ricardo Sanchez produced his team leading 42nd RBI of the season with an infield groundout.
A leadoff walk and stolen base had the Grizzlies in business in the home half of the fourth despite back-to-back Owen Reynolds punchouts. Butler's Hayden Dyer knotted the contest up with a two-out RBI single just two pitches later.
Locked in a pitcher's duel, the Cougars seized their final lead of the day scrapping for a run in the sixth as a Grizzlies error and wild pitch allowed pinch runner Joel Nieves to score succeeding Henry Hayman's leadoff single for his second hit of the day, Dryden Howse fielder's choice and Shawn Marquis two-out single.
Barton's second error of the contest opened the door in the home half of the six allowing the Butler leadoff hitter to reach. A stolen bag and single with none away closed the door on Reynold's day. The Grizzlies Cooper Torres knotted it up three pitches later producing an RBI fielder's choice sending it to the seventh deadlocked at 7-7.
Unable to produce a baserunner in the seventh going down in order for the third time, Butler rode the momentum into the home seventh. A leadoff Josh Holmes single and Bryce Zimmerer and sacrifice bunt moved the winning run into scoring position. Issuing an intentional walk to put the force on a second straight walk loaded them up with one away. Reliver Carson Cornelius recorded the second out fanning Sam Siegel but Barton's third miscue of the day on an infield groundball produced the game winner.
Reynolds went the first four innings on the hill allowing four hits, two runs, one earned, walked a pair and struck out seven in the no-decision effort.
Cornelius dropped his second game of the year tossing 1.2-innings in relief allowing one hit, one run unearned, walking three and striking out one.
Marquis and Hayman recorded the lone multi-hit performances each producing a 2-for-3 performance.
Game 2 Recap
Butler's hurler Corbin Talley kept the Cougars in check in the nightcap throwing a complete game holding Barton scoreless over the opening six innings while sending the bats down in order in six of the nine innings worked.
Jaden Wiley produced two of the four Barton hits with Howse and Nieves delivering the other two. Wiley manufactured the lone Cougar run with a solo-shot homerun to left for his fourth of the season.
The Grizzlies took advantage of back-to-back walks to open the bottom of the first and never looked back with a Cougar error and Siegal groundout producing a two-run frame.
Barton's deficit grew in the home half of the second as Holmes swapped places with Zach Stroh as the pair recorded doubles.
Butler pushed across their fourth marker in the sixth cashing in on a leadoff error and wild pitch.
Wiley broke up the shutout in the sixth launching the second pitch he saw over the right field fences for his fourth of the season.
Barton would go down in order in the eighth and strand a runner in the ninth as Wiley nearly connected on his second blast of the day recording a double to center.
Starter Tyrus Riley dropped to 2-2 on the season pitching 4.0-innings, allowing two hits, three runs one earned, walking four and striking out three.
Ian Lanik tossed 4.0-innings in relief allowing one run unearned, scattering two hits and striking out three Grizzlies.