The Barton Community College baseball team opened the 2024 campaign taking two-of-three games on the road at Rose State College this weekend in Midwest City, OK.
Rallying in the middle innings Friday to win 14-7 for their seventh straight season opening victory, the Cougars rewrote the script in game one of Saturday's doubleheader 4-1 before falling 7-6 in the bottom of the ninth in the nightcap.
Now 2-1 on the year, Barton will set its' sights on next weekend's home opening four-game series against Western Nebraska Community College. First pitch of Saturday and Sunday's doubleheaders at Lawson-Biggs Field get underway at 1:00 p.m.
RECAP – Friday (W 14-7)
Down 3-0 after the opening frame, Hunter Seier's first collegiate homerun with two-outs in the top of the second got the Cougars on the board trimming the deficit to 3-1. Scoreless in the third, Ayden Hadley launched Barton's second of collegiate first big fly's with a leadoff shot drawing the deficit to 3-2.
Grant Nottlemann's RBI double bringing home Robby Bolin's one-out walk drawn pulled things even in the top of the fifth before three batters into the home half pushed the Raiders back in front for the final time 4-3 on a single scoring a leadoff walk and advancement on error.
In the sixth, the Cougars seized all momentum plating seven runs to take a 10-4 lead with four beneficial of two RBI hit-by-pitches drawn, an RBI walk and a passed ball adding another. Hadley's second hit of the game being the big dagger in the inning driving in two of his team high three RBIs.
Rose State managed just three runs over the final three innings with Barton putting the final touches on the opening victory adding a run in the eighth and three in the ninth.
All but one in the lineup taking an at-bat collected a hit, with Jaron Cotton, Bollin and Hadley leading with a trio of hits.
Seier concluded the multi-hit performances going 2-for-5 with a game high four RBIs with two furnished in the three-run ninth.
Making his collegiate debut, Kyler Horsman collected his first collegiate win out of the bullpen working three innings yielding two earned runs on three hits while walking and fanning one each.
Called upon in the second inning, Nathan Bowman stifled the Raider bats going three scoreless innings, surrendering two hits, three walks and striking out a team high four.
RECAP – Saturday (Game 1 - W 4-1)
Held without a hit through the opening three innings, Cole Schieffer's leadoff single and pair of Raider miscues pushed Barton to the lone lead needed, 3-1 as a passed ball scoring Schieffer and second error of inning pushing across Seier's reaching on an error and Austin Nitcher's 1-out walk.
Tacking an insurance run in the sixth as back-to-back Bolin and Nottlemann walks with 1-out created Barton's lone RBI on Cotton's single to rest the score at 4-1.
Starter Bradley Feezer had a stellar Cougar debut notching the victory going four innings, allowing three hits, one run, walking three and fanning five.
Preston Golden and Colton Wahlstrom were nails out of the bullpen combining for three scoreless innings. Golden working two no-hit frames and walking two while Wahlstrom worked around two hits in his lone inning.
Cotton, Horsman, Schieffer and Seier fashioned Barton's four hits.
RECAP – Saturday (Game 2 - L 7-6)
Faced in another 3-0 deficit after the first inning, the Cougars clawed back to hold a 6-5 lead heading into the ninth before the Raiders benefitted off an error and walk off bunt single spoiling Barton's bid of a series sweep 7-6.
Pounding out 10 hits, Cotton, Hadley and Schieffer combined for two hits apiece with Hadley and Owen Bailey driving in a team high honors two-RBIs.
Utilizing five arms, starter Aidan Sowers lasted three innings, yielding six hits, three runs, one walk and three strikeouts in the no-decision effort.