The Barton Community College baseball team had its' season come to a crushing halt Friday evening in the consolation finals of the Cowley sub-regional falling for the second time in as many days to the Red Ravens of Coffeyville 14-8.
Posting a 1-2 mark for the regional, the Cougars' conclude the 2021 campaign at 34-18 with Coffeyville improving to 27-22 on the year while advancing into Saturday's Cowley sub-regional final against the host Tigers of Cowley College (42-8).
The Cougars fell on the short side in Thursday's first round matchup with Coffeyville 7-5 while claiming a comfortable 9-4 elimination victory in the evening over Dodge City. Drawing Coffeyville for the second time in as many days, the Cougars looked to be in control halfway through leading 7-1 until a late Red Raven surge closed the Barton season falling 14-8.
Game 1 vs Coffeyville
The Cougars opened the regional Thursday afternoon dropping a 7-5 heartbreaker to Coffeyville as a ninth inning two-run home run proved the difference maker pushing Barton into the evening's elimination contest with Dodge City.
Starter Graham Brunner threw 6.2-innings permitting five runs on five hits, striking out eight and walking four. Connor Allen manufactured the lone multi-hit performances with a double while five different Cougars accounted for an RBI.
Game 2 vs Dodge City
Facing elimination just thirty-minutes later, the Barton offense dialed in early on piecing together a three run opening frame and four run second jumping out to a 7-0 lead. The Conquistadors closed back to within 7-2 with a two run second but Alex Rodgers big offensive day was too much as the sophomore accounted for three of the four Barton round trippers as the Cougars extended their season with a 9-4 victory.
Zach Thornton provided a stolid start on the bump tossing into the sixth allowing four runs on five hits, walking four and striking out six.
Reliever Brenton Thiels slammed the door avoiding any Conquistador comeback working 3.1-innings allowing two hits and striking out three advancing the Cougars into Friday's elimination contest with Coffeyville.
Game 3 vs Coffeyville
Looking for revenge and a spot in the sub-regional final against host Cowley, the Cougars owned the first four innings with Coffeyville ruling the final five frames in rolling to a 14-8 victory.
The Cougars pounced on the Red Ravens gaining an early 3-1 lead behind a Rodgers 2-RBI triple and Allen RBI groundout.
The Barton bats stayed hot in the second mounting a pair more sparked on a Colter Maldonado blast and Wade Reynolds one-out RBI single driving home Rodgers stretching the margin to 5-1.
Maldonado stretched Barton's lead to five driving in his second RBI of the day with a single in the third followed up by Rodgers fourth blast for the weekend ballooning the lead to 7-1.
Making just his second start on the season Hunter Hesseltine soared through the first four innings allowing three hits, one run and striking out six. Hesseltine ran into trouble in the fifth allowing a pair of singles ensued by back-to-back Barton errors leading to an RBI double and RBI single ending the starter's day. The Red Ravens capped the five run frame with a 2-out RBI single clawing back to within one.
The Coffeyville bats remained on fire in the top of the sixth sending 12 to the plate behind five singles, a triple, a solo homerun and Barton's fifth error of the contest grasping a 14-7 lead.
Managing 10 hits through the first four frames, the Cougar bats chilled for just two hits over the final five innings scoring one final time in the bottom of the sixth as a Caden Bressler walk would come around to score on a pass ball pulling Barotn to within the final 14-8 margin.
Barton's last hope for a comeback came in the bottom of the eighth as the Cougars loaded the bases on a Reynolds leadoff walk, Allen single and Scott walk until a fielder's choice and groundout dampened any final comeback bid.
Offensively Rodgers and Allen carried the Barton bats each recording three hit performances. Carson Pracht and Maldonado led the runs batted in category for the Cougars each driving in a pair.