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Cougars complete sweep of Bethany College JV

In game two it was Bethany with the early advantage taking a 2-0 lead in the first. The Cougars responded with three in the second as Braxton Byfield and Jace Bowman led off the inning with back-to-back singles. Caleb Cherryholmes sacrifice fly scored Byfield while Mitch Kottas' RBI double drove home Bowman. Kottas scored two batters later as King's single to left field put the Cougars out front at 4-3.

The Andino-Turpin duo, who combined for ten hits and ten RBIs in the doubleheader, struck again in the top of the third as Andino's lead-off triple to left field was rewarded with Turpin's single up the middle giving Barton a 4-2 lead.

After each team had a couple of scoreless innings, the Swedes cut into the Barton lead getting one in the bottom of the fifth. The Cougars responded in the top of the sixth as Coombs led off the inning with a single then advanced on an errant throw by Bethany pitcher Cory Skerce. King's single up the middle scored Coombs then reached home on Andino's RBI double to left field.

Bethany loaded the bases in the home half, getting a one-out single by Matt Gabrielson, but Barton hurler Michael Turner induced an inning ending double-play to preserve the 6-4 lead.

Barton increased their lead in the seventh and final inning on three hits, the first coming from Andre Vieyra. Batting .440 on the season but seeing limited action the last three weeks due to injury, Vieyra delivered a pinch hit one-out single to right field before giving way to pinch runner Diego McCollum. After stealing second base, McCollum scored on a King single to left giving Barton a three-run advantage.

A Benson fielder's choice scored Coombs then was followed with an RBI Andino triple to center, his sixth run batted in on the day, as Barton controlled a 9-4 lead to the bottom of the seventh.

Craig Nicks struck out the last two Swede batters to end the game and help starting pitcher Michael Johnson improve to 2-2 on the season.

For the series Cougar shortstop Andino was 7-for-10 with two doubles and two singles while knocking in six runs.