The 8th ranked Barton Community College baseball team returned to their winning ways Saturday afternoon as the Cougars secured a doubleheader sweep over Hutchinson Community College while clinching a share of the Jayhawk West regular season title at Lawson-Biggs Field.
In the opener Barton operated a three-run bottom of the sixth to complete a 10-9 comeback victory over the Blue Dragons with Dryden Howse and Quinton Robertson each driving in a trio of runs leading the Cougars to a 15-5 seventh inning run rule victory in the series finale.
Holding a four-game lead heading into the final week of the regular season, Barton secures at least a share of the conference title sitting atop the standings at 22-6 and 43-8 overall while the pair of losses drop Hutchinson into sixth place in the Jayhawk West standings at 15-13 and 27-25 on the season.
The Cougars will look to clinch the outright Jayhawk West Championship Thursday afternoon hosting the first leg of a four-game set with the Broncbusters of Garden City Community College in a 1:00 p.m. doubleheader before concluding the regular season Saturday at Garden City's Williams Stadium.
Game 1 Recap
A leadoff solo shot and two-run round tripper with one out handed Hutchinson a first frame 3-0 lead. Tacking another two in the second as a Barton error mounted a pair of run producing fielder choices digging the Cougars into an early 5-0 hole.
Robertson pumped life into the Barton bats in the home second lacing a double down the right field line bringing home Ayden Blachowicz leadoff single for the first run. Jaden Wiley and Jaron Cotton followed with back-to-back sacrifice fly's capping a three run response trimming the deficit, 5-2.
Succeeding a leadoff Riley Silva triple to open the bottom of the third, Ricardo Sanchez needed just one pitch to bring it even distributing his team tying sixth fence clearer of the season to opposite field over the right field wall.
The Cougars tacked on two more runs in the fourth snagging their first lead of the game as Wiley laced the second of three singles in the inning bringing in Robertson's leadoff single before racing home two batters later on Robby Bolin's single to center.
Hutchinson sliced the deficit to one, 7-6 on Adam Mustow's second home run of the game in the fifth. Loading the bases following a one out triple, walk and hit-by-pitch in the sixth the Blue Dragons seized a 9-7 lead with a bases loaded walk pushing the tying run across and ensuing double driving in two.
Needing to rally again, the Cougars answered in a big way as a Wiley hit-by-pitch, Cotton single and Bolin sacrifice bunt positioned the tying run at second with one out. Cutting it to one on a Silva groundout, a Blue Dragon error allowing the tying run to score on the play extended the inning for Howse and Blachowicz singles generating the game winning run scoring Sanchez.
Pitching the Cougars out of a jam in the top of the sixth, Hunter Jones (4-0) worked a scoreless seventh to secure his fourth victory of the season tossing 1 2/3 innings allowing no hits and striking out a pair.
Starting pitcher Tegan Cain settled for a no decision tossing 5 1/3 innings scattering six hits, allowing eight runs (six earned) while permitting one walk and fanning five Blue Dragons.
Game 2 Recap
Trailing 1-0 as a bases loaded walk in the top of the first gave Hutchinson its' lone lead, the Cougars took advantage of nine walks and five hit batsmen to rapidly pull away for the seven-inning run rule victory.
Sending all nine to the plate in the bottom of the first, Barton loaded the bases behind two walks and a pair of plunking's to drive across the tying run. The Cougars snatched the lead for good two pitches later as Blachowicz distributed the first run producing single with Robertson increasing the lead by two fabricating the second single of the frame and the final run crossing on an Owen Bailey groundout capping the five-run frame.
Loading the bases for the second consecutive inning, Barton's advantage increased by two as a bases loaded Blachowicz walk and Robertson sacrifice fly making it 7-1.
Will Edmunson halted the seven unanswered streak to open the top of the third sending a no-doubt solo shot to right center.
Barton answered the solo run with two of their own as a Cotton leadoff walk in the third and one of three Blue Dragon errors allowing Bolin to reach would score off a Sanchez sacrifice fly and Howse single.
Permitting two runs after Hutchinson loaded the bases with no outs in the top of the fourth, the Cougars countered back with two more as a Wiley hit-by-pitch and Blue Dragon error formed RBI singles from Cotton and Bolin pushing the lead to 11-4.
Blake Bradford pieced Hutchinson's final run of the afternoon launching the Blue Dragon's fifth home run of the day with one out in the top of the fifth.
Held to seven hits over the opening six innings, the Barton bats put the final touches on the victory threading four of their 11 hits in the seventh scoring the final three runs. Back-to-back Blachowicz and Robertson doubles accounted for the first two runs coming in on a Wiley sacrifice fly and Bailey RBI double escorted by Cotton's walk off single to center seven pitches later.
Reece Hemmerling (6-1) secured his sixth victory of the season working five innings, allowing five runs on eight hits, walking two and striking out three.
Reliever Colton Wahlstrom pitched the final two frames allowing one hit, one walk and striking out one.