Producing just nine runs on 10 hits in yesterday's road doubleheader split, the Barton Community College baseball team returned to Lawson-Biggs Field exploding for 33 runs and manufacturing 26 hits sweeping Saturday's doubleheader against Dodge City Community College.
The Cougars received a 10-strikeout performance by Owen Reynolds over six innings holding the Conquistadors to just one run in the opener while Ricardo Sanchez drove in six of his 10 runs in the nightcap producing the clubs highest run output of the season with 24 runs including a two-out 15 run fifth.
Securing its' second straight conference series victory, Barton improves to 6-2 in the KJCCC and 14-7 on the season while Dodge City suffers its' first conference series loss of the year dipping to 5-3 in the Jayhawk and 14-9 overall. Winners of three straight, the Cougars will set out of conference play Monday afternoon in hosting Tabor College JV in a non-conference 2:00 p.m. doubleheader before returning to KJCCC play Thursday in hosting Butler Community College in a 1:00 p.m. twin bill from Lawson-Biggs Field.
Game 1 Recap
Reynolds opened the game tossing one of his three 1-2-3 innings while Barton pieced together a four run home half.
Alex Rodgers produced his lone hit of the game with a leadoff double with Sanchez swapping places on the base paths the next pitch with his first of two doubles. Henry Hayman drove in Sanchez with his second and team leading triple of the season before crossing on Dryden Howse RBI fielder's choice. Howse capped the four-run frame scoring on the second Conquistador error of the inning.
Dodge City's third miscue of the contest prompted another crooked number for the Cougars as Jace Stewart reached with Rodgers ensuing with a hit-by-pitch while five pitches later Sanchez laced his second double to left driving in a pair more while coming home two batters later on a Hayman double.
Reynolds lone hiccup of the day came in the third inning as a one out walk to Cale Blasi led to a two-out James Dunlap RBI triple slicing the Barton lead to 7-1.
Responding back in the home half, a leadoff Wade Reynolds walk and Stewart sac-bunt steered to Sanchez fourth RBI of the day with a two-out single.
Scoreless over the final two innings, Hayman mended his third hit of the day to open the sixth while advancing to third ensuing back-to-back wild pitches while coming home on Connor Allen's lone knock of the day with a single to left capping the scoring.
Cade Kohlmeier closed the seventh on the bump inducing three straight groundouts needing just seven pitches in his fifth appearance of the season.
Game 2 Recap
Dodge City seized their lone lead in the series finale nine-inning affair, producing two in the first frame profiting on a trio of knocks to kick start the contest with James Dunlap ripping the two RBI single to center.
Rodgers got the Cougars cooking in the bottom of the first leading off with a hit-by-pitch before slicing the margin in half scoring on Sanchez RBI single. After a pair of strikeouts, Howse evened the scoreboard with an RBI single to right driving home Sanchez concluding the two run answer.
Barton snatched the lead for good in the home half of the second with a four spot on a trio of hits and pair of walks. Jackson Hartley's leadoff single up the middle would be wiped away by a Stewart fielder's choice but a Rodgers one-out walk had the Cougars back in business as Stewart's swiping of third later produced the go-ahead run on a wild pitch with Rodgers coming home on Sanchez second RBI of the game. A Chandler Miller walk organized two more run makers with Hayman bringing home the pair with a two RBI double to center.
Ian Lanik operated his second straight scoreless inning in relief while the Barton sticks continued to add-on to the lead generating a trio more runs in the bottom of the third. A Conquistador error to open the inning eventually sparked a two-out rally as Sanchez produced his third hit knocking in his third RBI in as many innings. Pinch hitter Riley Silva followed drawing a walk and Haymen hit-by-pitch kept the threat alive with Howse driving in his second and third RBIs of the contest on a single to center.
Dodge City produced its' lone run on Lanik in the top of the fourth as a Cooper Tomkinson leadoff single followed by the lone Cougar error led to an Erubiel Duron RBI fielder's choice cutting the margin to 9-3.
Following a scoreless fifth inning, Barton opened the floodgates in spite of recording back-to-back outs to open the sixth. The Cougars mustarded together 15-runs on two-outs producing 10 hits, drawing four walks and reaching base twice on two hit-by-pitches while sending 19 to the dish.
Jordan Ellison worked a perfect sixth inning on the bump with Logan Redeker recording the final three outs working around a one-out single and walk.
Lanik improved his season record to 2-1 working 4.2 innings allowing one unearned run scattering five hits, walking one and striking out three coming on in relief for starter Hunter Hesseltine who went 0.1 inning.
Sanchez ended his five-for-six performance generating six RBIs, two doubles and crossing the plate five times.