A near no-hitter and total of 17 runs scored over 14-innings would spark the 19th ranked Barton Community College baseball team to a doubleheader sweep and four game series sweep of Colby Community College by scores of 6-0 and 11-1 in a seven inning run shortened nightcap Friday afternoon at Jimmy Lawson-Danny Biggs Field.
The second four-game series sweep of the year moves the Cougars to 21-2 overall and 4-0 to open Jayhawk West play while the Trojans suffered their fourth straight defeat falling to 7-16 on the season and 2-6 in the conference.
Barton will continue its six game homestead with a midweek doubleheader Tuesday afternoon welcoming in the junior varsity squad of Southwestern University in a 1:00 p.m. first pitch from Lawson-Biggs Field before concluding the homestead Thursday hosting the first leg of a four game set with conference foe Dodge City Community College.
Game 1 Recap
Starting pitcher, Owen Reynolds fell two outs short of a no hitter in the opener. The sophomore southpaw recorded his eighth strikeout to open the seventh before Colby's Nick Hosie lined a 2-2 pitch into center for the lone hit allowed by Reynolds. Walking the ensuing batter closing the door on the lefty's afternoon, Reynolds final line settled tossing 6.1-innings permitting one unearned run, two walks and eight strikeouts securing his fifth win of the season.
Barton would jump out front in the bottom of the first as a one-out Riley Silva double advancing on a passed ball and later scoring on a wild pitch put the Cougars out front 1-0.
The bats would come alive in the home third striking for five runs. The first wave of runs would come off an Ayden Blachowicz two-RBI single to right bringing home Silva's leadoff single and Sanchez hit-by-pitch. Three batters later, Henry Hayman would dial up his first fence clearer of the season launching the first pitch out to left, bringing home a Jaron Cotton walk.
The Cougars would be gifted with four of their nine walks and one of their four hit-by-pitches drawn in the bottom of the sixth. Colby's second wild pitch of the day mounted Barton's final run of the day with Silva's walk crossing following a pair of steals by the sophomore outfielder and Sanchez.
Following Reynolds departure, Kade Walker would face a bases loaded jam allowing a single to the first batter faced with Colby scoring their lone run on an error before notching the final two outs on strikeouts ending any potential Trojan rally.
Game 2 Recap
Producing runs in four of their six turns in the nightcap, Barton grasped another 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first as a Chandler Miller double to left brought home Sanchez reaching off a fielder's choice.
In the second, the Cougar offense would stretch the advantage to 3-0 with a Trojan error creating the first run allowing a Hayman single to cross with a trio of walks and hit-by-pitch from the Colby pitching staff generating Blachowicz bases loaded RBI walk.
The offense continued with a Dryden Howse leadoff single opening the third and Cotton one-out double manufacturing another pair of runs coming across on Grant Nottlemann's line drive single to left.
A pair of walks and fielder's choices to load the bases in the top of the fifth setup the Trojans with their first baserunners in scoring position since the top of the first. Calling to the bullpen with none away, Ivan Cox limited the damage getting a trio of fly outs with a sacrifice fly producing the lone run allowed.
Scoring was far from over as Barton stormed back with a six-run home fifth. Cotton's first collegiate home run to right would lead off the inning with a Silva RBI bunt single bringing home Nottlemann's hit-by-pitch. Silva's steal attempt of second furnished the third run in the inning with Bolin stealing home on the throw down, before crossing the plate three pitches later on Blachowicz single. Hayman created the final runs lacing a two-out triple to left driving across Blachowicz and Howse walk.
Colby would look to extend the game in the top of the seventh as three singles loaded the bases with one-out before a strikeout by Cox and fielder's choice completed the shortened double-header sweep.
Starting hurler Tegan Cain improved to 2-1 on the season after throwing 4.0 innings allowing just one run on three hits, walking two and striking out eight. Cox needed just 31-pitches over his three innings worked allowing three hits and striking out a pair.
Six Cougars finished with a pair of two hit performances led by Miller, Howse and Cotton's 2-for-3 days at the plate.