The Barton Community College baseball team returned for Saturday's game two at Lawson-Biggs Field with vengeance in splitting the day's doubleheader with conference leading Dodge City Community College. With the Conquistadors scoring four runs in the first three innings holding on for a 4-1 win in the opener, the No. 13 ranked Cougars put seven on the board in their first at-bat then tacked on nine more in their next two frames coasting to the game shortened seven inning 17-1 victory. The split leaves Barton at 4-2 in conference play and 19-5 overall while Dodge City moves to 8-2 in the Jayhawk and 16-6 on the season. The teams will wrap up their four-game series on Sunday beginning with a 1:00 p.m. first pitch doubleheader.
The Conquistadors scored one in each of the first two innings, each coming with two outs in the innings, tacking on two more in the third from a sac fly and ground ball up the middle.
Meanwhile, Barton was giving starting pitcher Garret Rogers any run support stranding two in the first, having a runner picked off in the second, and stranding another pair of runners in the third.
Getting rolled up in double play in the fourth, Rogers then sent the Conqs down in order in a quick fifth inning. Paul Claassen would begin the home half with a double down the left field line with Michael Sinks driving in the lone run with a single past the Dodge City shortstop.
Rogers sent the Conqs down in order for the second consecutive inning but Dodge City hurler Tommy Knowlton tamed the Cougars in the bottom of the inning with three of his six strikeouts then nailed down the seventh as Barton went quiet. The victory improved Knowlton to 3-0 on the year while Rogers dropped to 3-3.
The Cougars weren't about to let starting pitcher Charlie Vizcaya pick up his third win of the year in game two, as Barton chased the Puerto Rican sophomore after six batters and four runs on the scoreboard. Sinks began the onslaught with a double down left field with Corrigan Bartlett staying hot at the plate delivering a single. Trey Pittman RBI single and Dawson Pomeroy's two RBI double with Cole Henley lacing a double sent Vizcaya to the shower with two aboard and no outs. Drake Bliss followed with his first of two doubles in the game to greet reliever J.T. Mossberg, later scoring after stealing third base inducing a throwing error.
Barton tacked on another in the second on Pomeroy's third RBI in two innings as the freshman would go 3-for-4 driving in five of Barton's sixteen runs batted in.
Bliss' second two bagger opened up the third with Brady Michel following with a single to kick start an eight run inning. Consecutive singles by Pomeroy, Kaden Fowler, and Henley each drove in a run with Michel driving in his third of the inning with a two-out triple to the right center gap.
Mason Hiser kept the Conq bats in check for most of the game except in the fourth when three consecutive singles capped by Jonny Chavez broke the shutout.
Jared Maneth provided the final dagger in the sixth coming through with a two-out left field single.
Hiser struck out eight in the seven inning complete game improving to 4-1 in limiting Dodge City to just five hits and zero free passes. Vizcaya took the loss dropping to 2-2 on the season.