Guaranteeing its first conference series victory since March 4 with a 7-1 game one win Saturday, the Barton Community College baseball team returned to the Lawson-Biggs Field diamond determined to complete the mission as the Cougars jumped out to a first inning lead and never looked back in the 11-1 eighth inning win to sweep Seward County Community College. Four-run innings, the first in the opener's sixth inning and again in the fourth inning of the series finale, helped lead Barton to their first ever sweep over the Saints. The weekend's results move the Cougars into a third place tie in the Jayhawk West standings at 15-9 and 33-13 while Seward County stays in the sixth spot at 9-15 dropping to 16-28 on the year. Barton will have a Tuesday non-conference game hosting Hesston College at 5:00 p.m. before returning back to conference play traveling to Colby for a weekend four-game series.
Barton jumped out to a one run second inning lead as Taylor Langston launched his fifth homerun of the season driving a 3-2 pitch over the Lawson-Biggs Field scoreboard in left center.
A Cougar throwing error in the next inning allowed a single to turn into a runner in scoring position as one batter later Addison Kaasch tied it up on the Saints lone run of the game.
Going 3-for-3 in the opener, Langston delivered his second hit in the fourth inning driving in the game winner with a single to right center scoring Trey Pittman's leadoff walk. Following the walk, Cole Henley got the first of his two hits then later crossing the plate as the Saints' infield was busy rolling up a double play.
Henley's second hit was the four bag variety as the sophomore drilled a left center solo shot for his second of the season spurring a four-run inning. Langston followed with his third hit with Brett Bonar collecting his first of two doubles on the day with a drive to right center. Following a pitching change of Brian Tims, Alan Clark greeted reliever Dominic Duran with a deep right center drive for his fifth triple of the year. Michael Sinks followed up with his own extra base hit, adding to his Barton career leading total in doubles by matching his freshman year's nineteen with an RBI two-bagger down the left field line.
Mason Hiser went the seven inning distance scattering seven hits while striking out five with just one walk. The lone Seward County run came unearned as the Augusta sophomore lowered his ERA to 3.36. Tims took the loss dropping to 1-8 surrendering six runs in his 5.1 innings on the mound.
Not since the Cougars opened up conference play March 3-4 had Barton won a four-game conference series but the boys in blue were hungry for the sweep.
Barton received some help from the Saints to get things rolling in the finale as Sinks reached on a hit by pitch with Dawson Pomeroy getting aboard with a one-out walk. Two wild pitches later Sinks would cross the plate before Pittman fought off four two-strike pitches with an RBI single to right field.
Kaden Fowler dropped in a third inning double just beyond the diving Saints left fielder Errett Edwards, trotting home as Pittman put a dent in the center field fence smashing a RBI double pushing the lead out to 3-0.
Clark collected his second hit of the game with one out with Corrigan Bartlett getting hit by pitch with two outs as the fourth inning turned ugly again for the Saints. Two wild pitches pushed Clark across the plate with Bartlett scoring of a Pomeroy chopper down first base line. Fowler then connected on his second home run of the series as his towering fly ball traveled just far enough to extend out of reach of the Saints' Brendan Madsen and just over the center field wall.
Madsen would put the only blemish on Barton hurler Andrew Repp taking the second pitch of the fifth inning and driving it out to right field. The Saints would then load the bases with a hit by pitch sandwiched by singles but Repp and the Cougars escaped the no-out jam with three fly outs.
Hit by pitch to open the home half, Henley then swiped his fifth base of the year scoring two outs later on a Clark single up the middle.As Repp was keeping the Saints bats in check, Barton would give the Topeka freshman another run to work with in the seventh. Just missing a fourth inning dinger sending a ball to the center field warning track, Bonar homered another to deep center landing just out of the reach of Madsen for an RBI triple scoring Henley's single.
A one-out single would end Repp's afternoon giving way to Brant Millerborg who induced a fly out before outfield sheriff Clark closed out the inning with a leaping grab crashing into wall.
The top of the lineup duo of Sinks and Bartlett got the final eighth inning started with singles before Pomeroy's sac fly to the warning track put the Cougars within one of the run rule. Fowler became the second runner aboard with a hit by pitch while Pittman's fielder's choice was misplayed by the Saints infield erasing a great bare handed stab up the middle by reliever West Reddell. Two pitches later and Henley earned the game clinching RBI the hard way on the Saints' sixth hit batsman of the game.
Repp improved to 4-2 on the season in his 7.1 innings, throwing ninety pitches with six Saints hits as he struck out one while walking two. Jonathan Castillo took the loss dropping to 2-5.
Clark led the twenty-four hit doubleheader production out of the No. 9 hole going 5-for-7 with three RBIs as Barton pounded out a combined twelve extra bases.