The Barton Community College baseball team needed two rallies Sunday at Lawson-Biggs Field for a pair of victories over Western Nebraska Community College sweeping the weekend four-game series. Scoring eleven runs in the final three innings of the opener, a five run home half of the sixth claimed a 13-10 victory while a six run bottom of the seventh comeback stole the series finale 11-10. Barton's rallies improve the Cougars to 6-5 on the season while WNCC leaves Great Bend with a 3-11 record. Barton's next contest will come this Wednesday in a 5:00 p.m. nine inning affair at Lawson-Biggs Field before heading to Concordia for the weekend's conference opening four game series at Cloud County Community College.
WNCC jumped on starter Jackson Rose from the second pitch of the game stringing together three singles and a double, capped by a bases loaded walk in leading 3-0.
Dayton Pomeroy began the first of hit 2-for-4 game with a two-out double scoring on Ryan McClure's' single up the middle on the next pitch as the Cougars responded getting one back in the home half. Barton would draw to within one the following inning as Cole Henley led off with a single then stole two bases scoring on WNCC's second error in as many innings.
A single in the top of the fourth would score a batter later on a double pushing the lead back to two. Rose struck out the next batter but two singles and an outfield error would plate two more and chase Rose from the game.
Barton would respond to tie it up in the home half getting help from WNCC as two hit batsman followed Henley's one-out single scoring on a bases loaded wild pitch. Reaching on a fielder's choice, Alan Clark swiped second base as Mason Hightower sped home to the plate. A Bliss single and another wild pitch scored Clark and later in the innings Bliss crossed the plate on an infield error.
The Cougars would grab their first lead in the bottom of the fifth as McClure drew a full count walk then advanced to third on Saturday's star performer Trey Pittman's double. Two pitching mistakes later with a wild pitch and balk Barton led headed to the sixth 8-6.
Barton returned the generosity in the sixth opening up a four run floodgate. A leadoff double, walk and wild pitch set up a sac fly and one pitch later an infield error allowed the second run to cross tying it up/ Another walk ensued before a two-run triple by Jonathan Bermudez put the Cougars of WNCC up by two.
Then WNCC pitching staff helped set up the Barton rally plunking both Hightower and Clark to begin the home half. Bliss followed with a bunt single down the first base line and suddenly the bases were chalked full of guys in blue. One out later Pomeroy delivered the big hit with a single to right tying the game and putting runners at the corners. McClure then laid down the perfect bunt allowing Bliss to score with a Hensley single and Johnson ground out added to the winning total.
Taylor Langston worked the final 1.2 innings to earn the first win of the season for the Arkansas freshman. Henley collected three of Barton's nine hits while also stealing three of nine stolen bases. Bliss and Pomeroy each had two hits while Pomeroy and McClure each drove in two runs.
Barton was the first to get on the board in the series finale scoring a single run in the first on Pomeroy's groundout driving home Michael Sinks' one out triple to right field.
WNCC answered in the top of the second greeting Barton starter Cody Brewer with a double and two singles to open the inning. An infield error would allow two more runs to score as WNCC reclaimed the lead at 3-1. The two run lead was shot lived as Colton Zink would reach via an error and after swiping second base, would score on Ryan Schippers right field single.
Henley followed Pittman's reaching base via hit by pitch with a bunt infield single. Following a Zink sacrifice, Schippers' single scored Pittman with Henley speeding around to cross the plate on a WNCC error.
As the teams each committed five errors in contest, a Barton error opened the fifth leading to a four run WNCC outburst. A triple ensued followed by a single before Jack Pauley sent a two-run shot over the right field wall giving WNCC a 7-4 lead.
Two one out infield errors opened the door in the following inning as two singles would tack on three more runs for a 10-4 WNCC lead.
Barton would get one back in the home half with Henley getting aboard leading off with a double to center. Two outs later another WNCC error off the bat of Matthew Baca would plate Henley.
A Sinks to Henley to Pittman double play erasing a leadoff walk followed by a four pitch strikeout by Nathan Morris gave the Cougars some positive vibes headed to the home half needing to mount a five run rally.
Sinks led off the inning with a 1-2 pitch single up the middle and McClure and Pittman one out singles quickly loaded the bases. Getting one run on a wild pitch, WNCC committed their fourth error of the game allowing another run to score. Zink would load the bases as all runners reached their destination on the fielder's choice. Driving in his third run of the game, Schippers single up the middle plated one with Derek Johnson coming through on the first pitch he saw driving it to right field. With Henley scoring easily, another WNCC error proved costly allowing Langston to score tying the game and moved Schippers into the potential winning position at third base. A swing and a miss on the first pitch, Bliss wouldn't miss the second driving a walk off single to left scoring Schippers completing the six run seventh inning comeback.
Morris would pick up the win as the Vaughn, Ontario, freshman worked the final inning earning his first victory of his collegiate career.