Seven games into the season and the Barton Community College baseball team finally got to enjoy the comfort of playing at home, christening Lawson-Biggs Field for the 2016 with a pair of wins Saturday over Western Nebraska Community College. The Cougars put twelve runs on the board through the first four innings of game one including a seven run fourth then walked away with a 15-5 sixth inning three-run homerun. Combining for twenty-six hits in game one, both kept the hot bats alive in game two getting twelve hits each with Barton stringing enough for two three-run innings holding on for a 7-5 nine inning nightcap. The victories improve the Cougars to 4-5 on the season dropping the WNCC Cougars to 3-9. The teams will wrap up their four-game series on Sunday with a pair of seven inning contests beginning at 12:00 p.m.
Trey Pittman had a monster first game going 4-for-4 at the plate driving in six runs including two doubles and the walk-off three-run home run over the Lawson-Biggs Field scoreboard. Pittman led Barton in the twin bill adding a 1-for-2 night cap with his third double of the day to finish with five hits. Michael Sinks and Ryan McClure had four hits on the day with McClure launching his first career home run leading off the second inning of the opener sparking the Cougars' three run inning. As all players got at least a hit in the doubleheader, Cole Henley and Matthew Baca each had three hits.
Like Pittman in game one, Dayton Pomeroy led the Cougars in game two with a 2-for-3 effort driving home three runs with two crossing the plate for the go-ahead runs on his third inning double. Pomeroy finished the day with four RBIs having hit a triple in first game.
Two freshman starting pitchers earned their first collegiate victories Saturday. Garret Rogers earned game one's victory improving to 1-2 on the season throwing eight strikeouts in five innings of work. Austin Taylor also went five innings to even his mark at 1-1 on the season sending seven batters to the dugout with a strikeout.