Cougars split at Hutch; now 14-14 in West with 4 games to play
The Barton County Community College baseball team split yet another Jayhawk West doubleheader Wednesday afternoon at Hutchinson. Barton won the opener 9-3 then lost the nightcap 11-5 at Hobart Detter Field. The Cougars seem stuck on splits and .500 as Barton has now split 3 straight twinbills and 8 of the 14 double headers in West play this season. Barton is 14-14 in West action, tied for 5th. The Cougars have four more game to work their way to 4th place and a home playoff game in Region VI action. If Barton finishes 5th or lower, the Cougars will go on the road in the opening round.
Highlights
Barton took a 5-1 lead in the opener with a 4-run 2nd inning. The Cougars scored those runs on just 3 hits – all singles. Barton also had a pair of batters, one get hit, and two sacrifices in the innings. Eric Whinery, Troy Spahn, Andrew Giambrone, and Brent Biggs all scored in the inning with Andrew Small, Chris Evans, and Logan Smith all collecting RBI.
After Hutch trimmed the margin to 5-3 with single runs off starter Ryan Simon in the 2nd and 3rd innings, Barton made it 7-3 in the 4th with a 2-run homer from Evans. The Cougars got back-to-back doubles in the 6th inning to from Smith and Robbie Adams to score two more runs for the 9-3 final. Simon pitched 6 strong inning for Barton, allowing just 6 hits and 2 earned run to pick up the win. Evans and Smith each had 3 RBI in the contest for Barton.
The 2nd game started good for the Cougars with Giambrone hitting a leadoff homer to start the game. Barton led 3-1 after a Michael Stettinger 2-run homer in the 2nd that scored Adams but that would be the Cougars final lead. Hutch tied it in the bottom of the 2nd and took a 7-3 lead in the 3rd. Stettinger drove in Wade Gubbels in the 5th and Smith drove in Biggs in the 6th as Barton made it 7-5 but the Blue Dragons posted 4 more runs in the 6th thanks to a pair of Barton errors.
Stats
Complete stats can be found at www.bartonccc.edu
Next
Sat., April 23 – v Dodge City, 1 pm (Jayhawk West doubleheader at Lawson Field)