Cardiac Cougars advance to District Semifinals with ninth inning rally over Cowley #GoBarton
Cardiac Cougars advance to District Semifinals with ninth inning rally over Cowley
Trailing by one and down to their final strike in the top of the ninth, Owen Clyne's opposite field two-RBI go-ahead single lifted the Barton Community College baseball team over Cowley College on Thursday afternoon in the Plains District Tournament at Wichita State University's Eck Stadium.
Seeing its three-run lead in the bottom of the eighth evaporate into an 8-7 deficit coming to bat in the top of the ninth, back-to-back one-out Cole Schieffer and Robby Bolin singles ignited the rally attempt with Clyne's two-run single giving the Cougars a 9-8 comeback victory.
The 10th seeded Cougars (41-19) secured their second straight victory over a higher seed to advance into Friday afternoon's 4:00 p.m. winners bracket semifinal game against top-seeded Johnson County Community College who defeated No. 4 seed Kansas City Kansas Community College 7-4.
Cowley placed the tying run on in the bottom of the 9th with a two-out walk, but two-way player Kyler Horsman recorded a strikeout to end the game and secure his second victory of the year. Horsman (2-1) pitched the final 2.0-innings allowing three hits, one run, a walk and four strikeouts while also leading five different multi-hit performances from the Cougar lineup going 3 for 6 at the plate with two-RBIs.
Barton outhit Cowley 14-9, getting hits from eight of the nine in the lineup.
Clyne and Schieffer joined Horsman to lead Barton's RBI production each knocking in a pair with three others adding one brought home.
Held scoreless over the opening five innings and trailing 3-0, Barton broke through in the top of the sixth with a five-run inning with the first six reaching base behind five singles and a walk. Schieffer's two-runs brought around gifted the Cougars their first lead following Ayden Hadley and Hank Orr run delivering singles and Bolin's groundout ensuing scoring one for a 5-3 lead.
Horsman's two-run single in the eighth added a three-run cushion of 7-4 but four of the Tigers nine hits coming in the bottom of the eighth sparked Cowley's four run frame and 8-7 advantage.
Starting pitcher Aidan Sowers grinded out four innings with three hits, three runs, walking three and fanning one. Anthony Treto worked the next 3.0-innings scattering two hits, two runs with two walks and pair of strikeouts.