Thanks to a late burst of offense, the Barton Community College baseball team rallied for a 19-11 season opening victory over Rose State College Friday afternoon at Raider Stadium in Midwest City, OK. Trailing 9-0 after the opening three innings, the Cougars accounted for 17 of their 19 runs over the final four frames including an eight run eighth claiming their lone and only lead needed.
Opening the year 1-0 for the seventh straight season, Barton will look to extend its' four game winning streak against the Raiders of Rose State concluding the three game set tomorrow in a 12:00 p.m. doubleheader.
Jaden Wiley manufactured a career day at the dish producing seven RBIs turning in a 4-for-6 day and crossing the plate four times. Riley Silva led three other Cougars with multi-hit performances going 3-for-4 driving in a pair while Dryden Howse and Grant Nottlemann each drove in a trio of RBIs.
Kade Walker notched the victory out of the bullpen for the Cougars tossing a scoreless inning while working around two hits allowed. Reliever Tyrus Riley was solid out of the bullpen for the Cougars working the final two frames holding the Raiders scoreless allowing just one hit, walking one and striking out a pair earning his first save of the season.
Rose State would jump out to an early lead blasting a pair of grand slams in the opening two innings taking an 8-0 lead and chasing starter Owen Reynolds after just 1.1-innings worked. The Raiders would tack on another run in the home third taking a comfortable 9-0 advantage into the fourth.
Managing just one hit through the opening three innings coming on a Quinn Robertson one out single in the second, Barton doubled the hit production in the fourth as a one out Riley Silva single arranged Wiley's one swing of the bat blast to left slicing the deficit to 9-2.
The Raiders answered back with a run in the bottom of the fifth as a Barton error prolonged the inning resulting in a two-out RBI single pushing the margin back out to eight, 10-2.
In the top of the sixth Barton fired back as a one out Robby Bolin hit-by-pitch ensued by Silva's second single of the day created another two-out opportunity for Wiley. The sophomore delivered in another big spot lacing a two-RBI single and later scoring on Howse's double to right field that also brought in Robertson's hit-by-pitch capping a four-run inning.
Loading the bases in the bottom of the seventh with no-outs following a leadoff walk and back-to-back singles, Rose State would muster just one run with Walker limiting the damage allowing just a sacrifice fly keeping Barton within reach 11-6.
Down to their final six outs, the Cougars would load the bases with none away as a pair of hit-by-pitches drawn by Robertson and Henry Heyman mixed amongst a Howse walk fueled new life for Barton. Pouncing on the opportunity, the Cougars generated four singles, two more walks and another hit-by-pitch in the frame. Nottlemann started the string of three straight singles and two straight RBI hits with Jaron Cotton following driving in a pair. Bolin's legged out bunt single loaded the bases back up still with no outs setting up a Silva sacrifice fly cutting the deficit to one. Loading the bases for the third straight time after a Ricardo Sanchez walk, Wiley delivered for a third time driving in his fifth and sixth RBIs with a single producing Barton its' first lead 12-11 after fouling off four straight pitches facing a 2-2 count. Howse's second walk drawn in the inning made it 13-11 with the eighth run provided on a Rose State error.
The Barton hit parade lingered into the ninth as the bats fashioned six more hits, five singles and a double while plating five more runs on RBIs by Silva, Sanchez, Wiley and a pair from Nottleman.