Getting a combined twenty-two strikeouts from the pitching staff, the Barton Community College baseball team split its doubleheader today in Scottsbluff, Nebraska, to Western Nebraska Community College. The Cougars held a one run seventh inning lead in game one but a leadoff double proved costly as the host tied it up in their season opener forcing extra innings to eventually win 2-1 in the bottom of the ninth. Barton bounced back in the nightcap getting an eleven strikeout performance by sophomore Jordan Plank to split the doubleheader with the 3-1 victory and improve to 3-2 on the season. The teams will wrap up the four-game series on Saturday with a 1:00 p.m. doubleheader.
Grant Watkins sacrifice in the top of the fifth gave the Cougars a one run lead while University of Tennessee Martin signee Alexander Evans was nails on the mound including pitching out of a leadoff triple in the home half to preserve the lead. Giving up only two hits and one walk, the Mulvane sophomore matched his career high with eight strikeouts giving way to the bullpen seeking to claim his first win of the season after saving each of Barton's previous two wins.
With both teams unable to threaten in the eighth, Barton put two on with two outs but WNCC got Trevor Turner out for the first time in the game to end the threat. WNCC immediately put two on in the deciding inning with a leadoff walk and aided by a Barton fielding error. A sacrifice bunt later, a costly passed ball proved the difference as WNCC took game one 2-1.
Shane Adams took the loss pitching 2.1 innings with two strikeouts. Turner led a seven hit attack by the Cougars with his 3-of-4 performance including a triple while Josh Farrington and Jacob Richardson each had doubles. McDonald had two thefts in the game while Turner also swiped a bag.
Barton took only three at-bats to claim an early one run lead in the nightcap. Richardson got things going with a one-out single to center then swiped second base two pitches later. After fighting off a 2-2 pitch, Evan McDonald's single to center easily scored Richardson for the early lead.
Getting the first of his eleven strikeouts on the day, Plank walked the WNCC Cougars' Ty Wilson on four straight pitches. Following a pop-up in foul territory for the second inning, Wilson stole second setting up Holman's RBI single to right field tying the game at one.
McDonald reclaimed the lead for Barton in the third driving a ball deep to right field sending the right fielder into the wall. Sprinting around all three bases McDonald's trip to home beat the relay for his first career homerun.
With Plank handcuffing the WNCC bats, Barton's bats were silent as well with Seth Troll's leadoff single in the fourth being the only hit for the next three innings.
Trevor Hughes led off the seventh with a walk advancing to second on Austin Hall's groundout to the WNCC catcher. Two pitches later Xaiver Sundman gave the Cougars an insurance run driving a 1-1 pitch to right field.
Putting together his best performance as a Cougar, Plank sent the host Cougars down in order including a four-pitch strikeout to capture his first win of the 2015 season. The Emporia State University signee struck out a career high eleven while scattering five hits while giving up one run and two walks.
McDonald's 2-for-3 performance and two RBIs highlighted the seven hits for Barton while Richardson's stolen base was his second of the season.