After earning a pair of one run victories on Thursday the Barton Community College baseball team rallied for 13 runs in the opening innings on Saturday afternoon from Lawson-Biggs Field completing its' four-game sweep over Hutchinson Community College earning a couple of run rule victories 12-1 and 16-6.
The twelfth straight victory improves the Cougars to 17-2 on the season and 4-0 in league play while the nationally receiving votes Blue Dragons slip to 13-6 on the season and 0-4 in conference.
The Cougars will continue their home stand with a non-conference tilt with North Iowa Area Community College on Monday afternoon in a 1:00 p.m. nine-inning affair from Lawson-Biggs Field.
Game One Recap
Falling behind in the top of the first as Hutchinson accounted for their lone run in the contest on a two-out single, the Barton bats returned the favor in the home half of the opening frame. Alex Rodgers kicked off the home half blasting a leadoff double to center before Andrew Stewart knotted the contest up with a sacrifice fly. Succeeding a Chandler Bloomer single and Carson Pracht double, Noah Geekie put the Cougars out front for good legging out an infield RBI single. The large inning would carry on as Tristan Charles produced a two-out double scoring Geekie and Pracht capping the four run Cougar first.
Geekie's perfect day in the opener would continue in the third as the sophomore blasted a first pitch strike over the fence for his first round tripper of the season. Barton's lead would grow as Noah Rheinheimer joined the RBI column with a run batted in single. The Cougars struck for another run in the inning as the lone Blue Dragon error allowed Rheinheimer to extend the Barton lead.
The Cougar bats would use the gusty south win to their advantage in the fourth recording their third crooked inning via the long ball. Barton would get their second straight round tripper to open an inning as Pracht launched his second dinger of the season. Sophomore Adam Schrag blasted the game open five batters later rocketing his first career grand slam to straight center putting the final scoring to rest.
Easton Young kept the Blue Dragons in check in scattering five hits in the complete game, fanning five while walking none improving to 5-0 on the season.
Game Two Recap
Looking to complete the series sweep in the series finale, the Cougars made the most of the opening frame as Rodgers set the tone from the start blasting a 3-2 pitch over the left field fence for his team leading fifth home run of the season. Geekie would tally another RBI to his name reaching on a bases loaded fielder's choice before a throwing error provided to be costly allowing two more to cross the plate. A batter later, Connor Scott made it 6-0 connecting for his third round tripper of the season. Barton would tally three more with a pair of doubles from Micah Grover and Chandler Bloomer capping a nine run frame.
Scott would continue his big game leading off with a triple to center before coming home on the second of four Blue Dragon miscues making it 10-0 after two.
Hutchinson cut the margin back to single digits in the top of the fourth getting a pair of round trippers, however another pivotal error by the Blue Dragons would end up allow three more Cougar runs.
Bloomer stretched the Barton lead back to double digits in the third launching Barton's third home run of the game and sixth on the day.
The Blue Dragons would piece together one final push in the sixth scoring a pair with two-outs cutting the deficit back to single digits.
Barton would put any comeback attempt in the home half of the seventh with Pracht delivering his lone RBI in the game scoring a 1-out Bloomer walk.
Starting pitcher Geekie earned a no decision in the effort tossing three innings allowing four runs on five hits, walking one and striking out a pair. Reliever, Jack Brimacombe earned his second win of the season tossing 2.2-innings out of the bullpen allowing two runs on three hits, walking a pair and striking out three. Austin Gerety tossed 1.1-innings allowing no hits, walking one and striking out two.