The 10th ranked Barton Community College baseball team had plenty to celebrate on Wednesday afternoon as the Cougars dogpiled the mound at Lawson-Biggs Field for the second straight year capturing the program's 11th Jayhawk West Championship.
Sophomore David Stuart tossed his fourth complete game of the season pacing Barton to the conference clinching 3-1 victory in the opener over Garden City. The Cougars then exploded for 20 runs in the nightcap to complete the doubleheader sweep of the Broncbusters 20-11.
The pair of victories move the Cougars to 24-6 in the Jayhawk West and 45-8 overall while the losses drop the Broncbusters to 3-28 in league play and 7-45 on the season. The two teams will conclude the regular season Saturday afternoon at 1:00 p.m. from Garden City's Williams Stadium.
Clinching the conference title, Barton will host a best of three first-round matchup beginning Wednesday May 10th from Lawson-Biggs Field against the eighth-place finisher from the Jayhawk East.
Game 1 Recap
Robby Bolin's leadoff single followed by Riley Silva's sixth triple of the season handed the Cougars a 1-0 advantage just two batters in. The lead would increase by a run three pitches later on Ricardo Sanchez groundout.
One of two Garden City errors in the bottom of the fourth brought in a Dryden Howse one out plunking by pitch for an additional insurance run making it a 3-0 advantage.
Stuart (6-1) needed 74 pitches, limiting the Broncbusters to three total hits, one run and walking none. The Cougar sophomore had six strikeouts in earning his sixth victory of the season.
Perfect over the opening 3 2/3 innings, Garden City produced their first base runner with a two out single to left. The Broncbusters spoiled the shutout bid in the seventh as a pair of singles brought in the lone run surrendered by Stuart.
Five different Cougars recorded hits in the opener, Bolin, Silva, Sanchez, Ayden Blachowicz, and Quinton Robertson.
Game 2 Recap
Five different Cougars recorded multi-hit performances as the Barton bats generated a total of 16 hits with seven for extra bases while taking advantage of nine walks and four hit batsmen in the nightcap.
Jaron Cotton drove in a new career high five RBIs while tying his career high in hits going 3 of 5 with a triple.
Blachowicz finished 4 of 6 setting a new career high in hits while driving in three runs and scoring a trio of times.
Henry Hayman belted his team tying sixth home run of the season while also legging out a double to conclude his afternoon 2 for 6 with two RIBs.
Bolin rounded out the multi-hit performances finishing 3 of 4 with two RBIs, a stolen base and crossing the plate four times.
The Cougars had three huge innings to build up a nine-run lead twice. Barton scored six runs in the bottom of the second, five in the fourth and five runs in the seventh. Garden City scored runs in the second and fourth while adding a trio of runs in each of the third, sixth and seventh.
Bryan Bartels (1-0) got the win with 2-innings of relief work allowing two hits, one run and striking out one. Kade Walker and Colton Wahlstrom each pitched an inning allowing three runs apiece. Hunter Jones allowed one hit in his one inning of work with a strikeout with Nathan Bowman needing just five pitches to get the final three outs.
Making his first start of the season, Tyrus Riley earned a no-decision in 3-innings of action surrendering four runs off three hits, walking six and striking out a pair.