It wasn't pretty but the Barton Community College baseball team will take the non-conference win as the Cougars scored late then held on for a 5-4 over Brown Mackie College Thursday at Lawson-Biggs Field.  The victory improves Barton's season mark to 23-17-1 while Brown Mackie drops to 1-29.  The Cougars return to conference action tomorrow as Garden City Community College comes to Lawson-Biggs Field for four-games.  First pitch of Friday's doubleheader is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. with Saturday's doubleheader beginning at 1:00 p.m.

The Cougars found themselves trailing 2-0 into the fifth inning as Brown Mackie scored one in the second and third innings.

Trevor Hughes got things going for Barton leading off the fifth with a single to center.  Kyle Cromwell followed with a one-out double to center as the Cougars put two runners in scoring position for Trevor Turner who delivered a the game tying hit with a single to left.

With the Cougars changing pitchers each inning, the arms of Craig Hamil, Shane Adams, Zach Brummer, and winning pitcher Pete Ruiz kept the Brown Mackie bats silent from the fourth through seventh inning.

Jacob Richardson and Braxon Byfield, who each had two hits in the game, helped give the Cougars a two run lead in the home half of the seventh.  Richardson opened things up with a one-out single to left then swiped second base to put himself in scoring position.  Scott Tyler and Byfield then hit consecutive two-out doubles to build the Barton lead out to two. 

Brown Mackie cut the deficit to one in the eighth as a walk and sac bun set up Enrique Murillo's RBI single to right field.  Barton got the run back in the home half with help from Eric Benson's leadoff single to center field.  Cromwell would advance Benson to second on a sac bunt.  A subsequent wild pitch set up Richardson's fly to out to center to give the Cougars what would be a much needed insurance run.

The Lions wouldn't go quiet in the ninth as a one-out infield error kept Brown Mackie's hopes alive.  A two out walk and single loaded the bases then Tanner Shoemaker's inside pitch gave Murillo his second RBI of the game and drew the Lions to within one.  Bryce Minor, who subbed into the game at third base in the eighth, made the defensive gem of the game robbing Tanner Boucher's hard shot down the left field line then sprung to his feet to throw out Boucher to preserve the Cougar victory.

Ruiz picked up the win to improve to 2-0 on the season while Shoemaker pitched 1.1 innings to earn his first collegiate save.