Pair of walk-offs send Barton Baseball to doubleheader sweep and series victory over No. 20 Hutchinson #GoBarton

A pair of walk-off victories gave the home fans at Lawson-Biggs Field plenty to cheer about on Saturday afternoon as the Barton Community College baseball team completed a doubleheader sweep over No. 20 Hutchinson Community College, winning the opener in run-rule fashion 20-10 in five-innings before completing it in comeback style by a final tally of 9-8.

Sophomore Hunter Alvord extended his consecutive-game hitting streak to then seven straight games with a walk-off double in the opening five-inning run rule victory before John Connors sent a Cougar mob around home plate in the nightcap distributing a two-run home run to right center for his second of the game to walk it off.

Winning the final three games after dropping the opener, the Cougars improve to 7-1 in league play and 12-4 overall while the Blue Dragons drop their first conference series loss sliding to 4-4 in Jayhawk West play and 17-7 overall.

Barton will head back out on the road Monday for a non-conference doubleheader at Southeast Community College. First pitch of the twinbill is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. from Norfolk Veterans Memorial Baseball Field in Norfolk, Nebraska. The Cougars will return to conference play Thursday hosting Cloud County Community College in the opening two games of a four-game set with the T-Birds.

Within Barton's 27 hits on the afternoon, eight left the ballpark headlined by the multi home run performances of Tate Blasi, Hayden Oviatt and Connors while Ayden Hadley and Alvord each contributed with one.

Game 1 Recap
Tangled in a 1-1 tie heading to the bottom of the second, the Cougar offense exploded sending 14-straight to the plate erupting for a 12-run frame. The first of two Blasi home runs to lead off the inning jumpstarted the scoring with the sophomore adding a three-run bomb batting for the second time in the inning.

Two hitters later, Oviatt joined the party driving in two of his game high six RBI performance with the first of his pair of two-run homers in the frame with his second a liner just clearing the fences in left field.

Hadley delivered the other big blow in the 12-run second launching his first collegiate grand slam for one of his five hits produced throughout the doubleheader.

Not going down without a fight, Hutchinson clawed back scoring nine unanswered over the next three at-bats to pull within three, 13-10 heading to the bottom of the fifth.

Held in check over the next two frames, the Barton offense regrouped in the home fifth benefitting behind a pair of Blue Dragon errors and trio of hits creating a seven-run final turn at the plate.

Kyle Walker highlighted the second big inning fashioning his second double scoring two with Oviatt knocking in two more on his third hit before scoring on a wild pitch with Alvord's walk-off double for his lone hit of the contest enforcing the run-rule.

Starting pitcher Owen Pote (2-2) collected the victory tossing 4.0-innings permitting five runs off six hits with six walks and career high six strikeouts.

Cam Bergstrom lasted 0.2-innings in relief surrendering one hit, while tagged on the tough side of two Barton miscues in the fifth leading to five runs (no-earned) with a walk before handing off to Preston Golden for the final out of the fifth.

Game 2 Recap
Trailing from the start, the Cougars continued to stay within arm's reach on three separate occasions before finally piecing together the final charge in the bottom of the ninth.

Needing a run and down to their final two outs, Hadley nearly fashioned the game-tying run with a home run, lacing his fourth hit of the contest with an opposite field triple off the left center field fence putting the tying run 90-feet away.

Stepping to the plate with a home run already, Connors answered the call working the count full before sending his second no-doubter out to right center to cap the second comeback victory in as many days and Cougar celebration at home plate.

Hit with a 3-0 deficit before coming to bat, Alvord's first inning no-doubter to left center followed by Oviatt's leadoff single in the second scoring on a wild pitch trimmed the Cougars deficit to one, 3-2 after two.

Hutchinson added a run in the third and fifth to maintain a 5-2 lead, Connors first of his two big fly's brought Barton back within a run once again at 5-4 through five.

Four of the first five Blue Dragon hitters reached base to open the sixth with four runs scoring to extend the Hutchinson advantage to 9-4.

Continuing to chip away the Cougars got a run back in the bottom of the sixth on Oviatt's RBI groundout and three more in the seventh off a Hadley RBI double, Gomez RBI fielder's choice and Blasi run producing double drawing back within 9-8 before producing the two-run ninth inning walk-off.

Ethan Minaker earned a no-decision going the opening five-innings surrendering five runs over six hits with a walk and two punchouts.

Landon Haines (1-0) collected his first career victory overcoming a four run first inning of his four frames worked, finishing strong sending the final nine Blue Dragons down in order.

The Cougars outhit the Blue Dragons 12-9 with an 8-6 advantage in extra bases.

Hadley turned in a career high four hits, going 4 for 5 with a double, triple and RBI.

Connors led the RBI production finishing 2 for 3 with two home runs, four RBIs and pair of walks.