The Barton Community College baseball team jumped out to early leads over Seward County Community College in each of Sunday's doubleheader at Lawson-Biggs Field, building a six run lead in a 7-6 game one victory before tacking on an 8-2 win to cap the day's sweep.
The 20th ranked Cougars' salvage of the four-game series following a twin bill loss Thursday in Liberal, keeps Barton in the top spot of Jayhawk West at 11-5 and 22-9 while Seward County slides to the sixth spot at 8-8 and 16-16.
Barton's next action is Tuesday in Lindsborg with a 3:00 p.m. doubleheader against the junior varsity of Bethany College before getting back to conference play on Thursday in a 1:00 p.m. twin bill hosting Colby Community College.
Having scored just two runs in sixteen innings on Thursday in Liberal, the Cougars matched the output in the first inning Sunday with Charlie Peyla driving in Andrew Stewart's single and Noah Geekie's walk to get the home at-bat started.
Barton added four more the next frame rallying with two-outs by drawing three consecutive walks preceding Geekie getting plunked to drive in a run the badge of honor way. Nolan Riley followed in the lineup clearing the bases on a double in pushing the lead out to 6-0.
A one-out infield error opened the door for the Saints in the third as a double and walk followed in loading up the bases. Three runs would score in the inning with back-to-back singles before starter Jake Skala could get the final two outs to halt the surge.
The Cougars came through again with a big two-out hit in the bottom of the fifth to provide an eventual winning run as Chandler Bloomer drove in Peyla after having begun the inning with a walk.
Seward County mounted a comeback in the final top of the seventh inning, beginning the frame with consecutive singles to chase Skala from the game. The inning continued to get interesting on reliever Tanner Howe as an infield single loaded the bases with a double driving in two cutting the lead in half. Howe kept the Saints in check for the final three outs with a groundout pushing across the final run.
Howe's 8th save of the season helped Skala improve to 4-0 on the year.
A two-run bomb of a home run put the Saints out early in the series finale with a two-out walk extending the inning on Easton Young before Benny Ayala launched his sixth of the year.
Stewart's single in the home half began a 4-for-5 production out of the leadoff spot as two Saints errors opened the door for a run with Adam Schrag driving two more through the opening with a double putting Barton out front by one.
Geekie doubled up the advantage on a single in the ensuing frame with Riley's sacrifice fly pushing the Cougars advantage out to 5-2.
A two-out walk and single gave the Saints life in the third with the call to the bullpen bringing in Joe Richter. Stranding the pair of runners to get out of the inning, the freshman sent the Saints down in order in two of his four remaining innings in surrendering just a pair of hits improving to 4-0 on the year out of the pen. Coleton Crisp took over for the final two innings, throwing just eighteen pitches for the six outs in the perfect six at-bats faced.
The fourth Saints error provided a solo run in the seventh with the Cougars generating two more runs in the eighth with a double surrounded by singles incluidng Geekie's second run driven home in the contest and a Riley sacrifice bunt plating the final run.
Joining Geekie with the multi-hit game were Geekie, Schrag, and Chandler Kelley with Schrag's three RBIs leading the squad.