The Barton Community College baseball team earned a doubleheader split Saturday with Coffeyville Community College to conclude the team's four-game non-conference series.
The Cougars looked to run away with game one until a Coffeyville seven-run seventh inning sent the teams into extras. Dryden Howse became the hero by launching a walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth for a 12-11 victory, the third straight walk-off ending of the series.
Barton played from behind in the finale, searching for the big hit to take the lead but stranding twelve including five in the last two innings left the Cougars on the short end a 5-4 score with the Red Ravens leaving town taking three of the four meetings.
Now 32-14 on the year, Barton will have its last non-conference tune-up on Tuesday with a 5:00 p.m. nine inning contest at Hesston College. Coffeyville now stands at 25-18 on the year. The Cougars next home games are Thursday to begin a four-game conference set of the two current conference leaders. Barton leads the league race at 18-6 with Cloud County Community College close behind at 19-7 and 36-11 on the year. First pitch slated for 1:00 p.m. at Lawson-Biggs Field.
Batting .303 and having a .453 on-base percentage on the day, the Cougars had its opportunities to score but stranded twenty-five base runners in the twinbill as the opportunistic Red Ravens just left five on the bags in each contest.
Howse's game one heroics contributed to his four total hits, batting .571 with four RBIs. Ricardo Sanchez also had four hits in a .500 day with Henry Hayman joining House with the four runs driven in including a three-run fence clearer in the opener.
Game 1 Recap
Barton scored four in the first and third innings highlighted by Hayman's sixth homerun of the season putting three on the board in the third.
Owen Reynolds allowed just one hit and six strikeouts headed into the fifth inning when Coffeyville plated three runs on a walk, error and pair of hits.
Jace Stewart's RBI double drove in one of the two Cougar runs in the sixth in building what appeared to be a relatively safe 11-3 into the final seventh inning.
Three straight hits including an RBI double began the Red Ravens comeback in what would be seven runs crossing on six hits. An out later, a walk reloaded the bases followed by a triple and RBI single cutting the gap to two before a two-run homerun tied the contest.
Hayman picked up his second hit of the game with one-out in the ninth, giving the Cougars some renewed life until pinch runner Colter Maldonado was erased on a caught stealing.
The Red Ravens rode the momentum into the extra eighth inning, getting a leadoff single aboard before utilizing the sacrifice bunt to advance the runner. A right-side groundout later, a single up the middle gave Coffeyville its first lead.
Connor Allen gave the Cougars the all-important leadoff aboard with a single, scoring after a wild pitch on Chandler Miller's RBI double clanging the base of the centerfield wall.
Carson Cornelius' last of 2.1 innings on the hill sent the Red Ravens down in order, turning the momentum back to Barton for the home half.
Cocked and loaded for the first pitch, Howse crushed the game winner deep to centerfield for his second of the year avenging the Cougars' previous walk-off losses on the Red Ravens' home turf.
Barton used four arms in the victory, Jordan Ellison and Ian Lanik in relief with Cornelius improving to 1-3 on the year out of the bullpen.
Game 2 Recap
Tegan Cain looked to escape a one-out single and walk but a two-out errant pick-off play would be costly in plating both runners.
Getting hit by pitch six times in the opener, Barton was plunked three times in the nightcap beginning with Alex Rodgers wearing the badge in the Cougars' first at-bat. Sanchez followed with a single as the pair would later score on a Hayman sacrifice fly and Howse RBI hit to tie it up.
Coffeyville again executed good baseball in the fifth to take the lead, moving a leadoff walk into scoring position getting a two-out single putting the Red Ravens ahead 3-2.
Like in the first frame, Barton shot themselves in the foot again as a trio of wild pitches would allow a pair of one-out singles to push Coffeyville's sixth inning lead to 5-2.
The Cougars were down to their final out of the home half before extending the frame on Nieves, Rodgers, and Sanchez connections to load the bases. Hayman's reach on error and Howse being hit by pitch plated two runs but it was all the Cougars could produce in stranding the bags full.
Cade Kohmeier, who came out of the pen in the sixth to get the final two outs, sent the Red Ravens down in order in the seventh on a trio of ground outs keeping Barton within striking distance.
Tanner Schrag drew a one out walk to begin Barton's final at-bat but was erased a batter later trying to reach third base on Wade Reynolds' reach on error. Nieves then drew a walk to join fellow speedster pinch runner Ethan Haufler on the bags for a potential bid at the tie or go-ahead runs but became a part of twelve left on base as a harmless fly ball earned the Red Ravens the series victory.
Cain's 3.1 innings of no decision was followed by Tyrus Riley's two innings on the hill in taking the loss falling to 3-3.