The Barton Community College baseball team rode an Alex Rodgers 12th inning walk-off single Saturday to complete a doubleheader sweep of Seward County Community College at Lawson-Biggs Field. The Cougars got a six solid frames from starter Owen Reynolds in the opener earning a 6-2 victory before the 4-3 walk-off in the nightcap sealed the weekend series victory.
Winners of three straight, Barton remains atop the KJCCC West standings at 18-6 moving to 31-11 overall while the Saints fall to 5-15 in league play and 12-30 on the season. Entering their conference bye week, the Cougars will head back on the road Thursday to open a four game non-conference tilt against the Red Ravens of Coffeyville Community College. First pitch scheduled for 1:00 p.m. from Walter Johnson Park with the series concluding Saturday afternoon at 1:00 p.m. from Lawson-Biggs Field.
Game 1
Barton grabbed a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first and never looked back as Rodgers crossed from third on a two-out balk following a leadoff single the first of his perfect three-hit game.
A leadoff Dryden Howse single and Shawn Marquis one-out single had the Cougars cooking in the home second with the first of two Saints errors permitting Jace Stewart to reach advancing to second with the duo scoring on the two base error. Rodgers would add the third run of the frame one batter later with his second knock of the game bringing home Stewart.
Seward got on the board cutting the margin to 4-1 in the top of the third getting three straight two-out singles, before Rodgers collected his third knock of the game in the bottom of the fourth driving in a Joel Nieves single while advancing home on the Saints second error making it a 6-1 advantage.
The Saints would cut into the lead generating their second two-out rally with Justin Masters producing his second knock of the contest on an RBI double driving home a Jaxson Gregg hit-by-pitch.
Reynolds kept the Saints in check in scattering six hits in his six-innings of work allowing two runs, one walk and striking out four improving to 5-0 on the year.
Carson Cornelius scored his fourth save of the season coming on for Tyrus Riley in the bottom of the sixth facing a no-out and two on situation getting a pair of fly outs and fielder's choice in locking down the Barton victory on just eight pitches.
Game 2
Connor Allen jumped the Cougars out to the early edge in the nightcap lacing a two-out RBI double whacking in Rodgers leadoff hit-by-pitch.
Starter Tegan Cain faced his biggest trouble in the top of the fourth limiting the damage as two singles and the first of two Barton errors in the game loaded the bases with the Saints fabricating just one run on a Brody Boisvert's sacrifice fly knotting it up at 1-1. Cain escaped the jam on the next batter as the Cougars turned the first of their four double plays to end the threat.
Held to just one hit from the second through the fourth, Nieves manufactured the first of his two hits in the home fifth with a one-out single. Swiping the first of his two stolen bases Nieves advanced to third on the first of two Seward errors in the game setting up a Rodgers sacrifice fly to center furnishing Barton the 2-1 edge.
The Cougars added an insurance run in the home sixth as Colter Maldonado drove in Henry Hayman's second double of the game to open the inning.
Tossing three scoreless frames in relief Bryan Bartels would be chased in the top of the ninth succeeding a leadoff single and double to open the frame. Boisvert would knot the game up with a two-RBI single on the first pitch seen from Ian Lanik. Facing two on with one out, Lanik would escape further trouble with a fly-out and strikeout.
Barton would strand the go-ahead run at second in the home ninth after Howse opened the frame with a leadoff walk.
Threatening in the 10th the Saints would strand a leadoff single and two-out walk while the Cougars would squander a bases loaded opportunity with one out hitting into the first of two straight inning killing double-plays succeeding a one-out Rodgers leadoff single running his hitting streak to seven straight games, a Sanchez hit-by-pitch and Hayman fielder's choice.
The Saints produced the go-ahead runner for the third straight inning in the 11th stranding a leadoff double at third following a two-out steal. Threatening once more with back-to-back one-out singles by Maldonado and Reynolds, Barton would hit into their fourth double play of the contest prolonging the contest into the 12th.
In the 12th, Seward fashioned their fourth straight inning with a baserunner following a one-out single but Lanik remained nails in relief stranding their sixth baserunner over the last four innings.
Barton only needed two hitters in the bottom of the 12th with Nieves lacing his second single of the game on the first pitch seen to start the Cougar frame. Swiping his second base of the game on the ensuing pitch, Nieves advanced to third on the over throw down at second. On the succeeding 1-0 pitch, Rodgers delivered the walk-off with a single to right center driving in his second run of the game.
Earning a no-decision, Cain allowed one run over five innings of work, giving up five hits, walking one and striking out four.
Bartels worked three-plus frames in relief giving up two runs on five hits while recording a pair of strikeouts.
Bouncing back from Thursday's series opening loss, Lanik improved to 4-2 on the year tossing four shutout innings out of the bullpen permitting four hits, issuing a pair of walks and striking out three.