Cougars win 3 of 4 over Western Nebraska
The Barton County Community College baseball team opened its home season by taking 3 of 4 games from Western Nebraska, improving to 8-5 on the season with the series win. The Cougars lost the opener, 6-3 before winning the final 3. Barton gained a split on the 1st day, winning 3-0 in the nightcap, the swept Western the following day, 12-2 and 4-3. The teams used wood bats during the series at Lawson-Biggs Field in Great Bend.

Highlights
Barton fell behind 4-1 in the 1st 2 innings of the opener and 6-1 late in the game. Ryan Anthony struck out 9 in his 5 innings of work, but did give up 4 earned runs. Ty Stivers had 2 hits and Tyler Rzepka 2 RBI in the loss. Barton got a pitching gem from Ryan Sheldon in the 2nd game, allowing just 3 hits and no runs in the complete game shutout. Barton took a 1-0 lead in the 4th. Kenny Burkhead singled to start the inning, was bunted to 2nd by Clayton Karst and later scored on a Stivers double. Barton made it 3-0 in the 6th with a pair of unearned runs. Karst and Brock Wells picked up the RBI in the inning, scoring David Wilson and Burkhead.

The Cougars jumped on Western Nebraska early and often to start the 2nd day of play on their way to a 12-2 win. After taking a 1-0 lead in the 1st on a Wilson single that scored Austin Holt, Barton put a 4-spot on the board in the 2nd to take control of the contest. Bryce Scott drove in 2 in the inning as Barton scored 4 times in just 2 hits thanks to some control problems by Western. Barton pushed it to 8-0 after the 3rd inning when Barton scored 3 more times on just 2 hits. Western scored its only 2 runs of the game in the 4th and Barton countered with 2 of its own and eventually ended the game in the bottom of the 6th on the run rule. Marc Albers was 4-for-4 in the win with 2 RBI and 3 runs scored. Scott was 2-for-3 with 3 RBI and 2 runs. Holt also had 3 RBI and Cooper scored 3 times in the win. Jeff Edlefsen picked the win for Barton, allowing just 1 unearned run in 4 innings of work.

The 2nd game looked like an offensive explosion by both teams early, but settled into a pitching duel the final 5 innings in a 4-3 Barton win. Wilson singled in Holt for a 1-0 Barton lead in the bottom of the 1st, but Western came back with 3 in the top of the 2nd for a 3-1 lead. Barton was quick to answer Western's scores with 3 of its own. The inning started innocently enough with Rzepka on 1st and 2 outs. But 3 straight 2-hit outs – along with help from Western – gave Barton the 4-3 lead back. Holt reached on a bunt single and both he and Rzepka moved up a base on a wild pitch. Anthony Dreiling singled in Rzepka and moved Holt to 3rd on a single. Holt scored on a balk and Tyler Metcalf singled in Dreiling to give Barton the lead back. Michael Cotter settled down after the shaky 2nd inning to earn the win for Barton, allowing just those 3 runs – 2 earned – over his 4 innings. Kevin Large pitched one inning of shutout ball and Erik Anderson tossed the final 2 to earn the save, allowing just 1 walk.

Stats
Stats can be found at www.bartonccc.edu/sports

Next
March 4 – at Northern Oklahoma-Enid, 1 pm (doubleheader at Enid, Oklahoma)