Cougars sweep Colby; keep pace with leaders in West

Cougars sweep Colby; keep pace with leaders in West
The Barton County Community College baseball team is back in the race for the Jayhawk West title after sweeping Colby Sunday afternoon at Lawson Field in Great Bend. The games, originally schedule for Colby, were moved due to wet conditions in Colby. The Cougars will now travel to Colby on April 15. Barton rolled to win in the opener over the Trojans, who entered the contest in 1st place in the West with a 7-1 mark. Barton won the game 12-2 then followed with a dramatic 7-6 win in the bottom of the 7th of the nightcap for the sweep. Barton is now 14-12 overall this season and 5-3 in the West.

Highlights
On a day with wind gust near 50 mph, Brock Nehls threw a terrific contest in the opener. Nehls shutout the Trojans for the opening 5 innings while Barton built a lead on Colby. After allowing a pair of runs in the 6th to Colby, Barton responded with 6 runs in the bottom of the inning to put the game away due to the run-rule. Nehls scattered 7 hits over those 6 innings, getting out of jams in 3 innings as Colby left 2 runners on in a pair of innings and the bases loaded in one inning.

Meanwhile Barton wasn't having much better luck, grabbing a 1-0 lead in the 4th when Eric Whinery doubled in David Wilson. Barton put runs on the board in bunches the next two innings. In the 5th, Barton scored 5 times before platting 6 runs in the 6th. Another Whinery double drove in a pair of runs in the 5th as Barton scored all its runs with 2 outs in the inning. Robbie Adams and Anthony Dreiling each drove in runs in the inning as well.

The Cougars put the game way in the 6th. Whinery ended the contest with 3 RBI while Dreiling added two. Wilson, Michael Stettinger and Whinery all scored twice as well in the game.

The 2nd contest saw Barton play catch-up from the very beginning and win in the most dramatic of fashions. Barton took a brief 1-0 lead in the 1st when Wilson's fly out scored Austin Holt for the 1-0 lead. But Colby answered with 4 runs then two innings for a 4-1 lead – 3 of those runs were unearned. The lead grew to 5-1 in the 5th before the Cougars began their rally. Brent Biggs belted a 3-run homer in the 5th to cut the lead to 5-4. It was the 2nd homer for Biggs on the season. Barton had a chance to take the lead in the inning, but left the bases loaded.

Colby pushed the lead to 6-4 in the top of the 6th with another run but Barton countered in the bottom of the 6th with a run of its own as a Whinery fly out scored Holt. The Cougars seemed destined for defeat in the bottom of the 7th after the 1st two batters were retired and the 3rd out of the inning was on its way when Tyler Metcalf hit a sharp grounder to 2nd. But a Colby kept the Cougars alive. Barton took advantage of it. Wade Gubbles and Dreiling each drew walks to load the bases, sending Tim Ruble to the plate with game in his hands. Ruble – the No. 9 hitter in the order – came through with a solid single to center scoring Metcalf and Gubbles for the win. It was the only hit of the inning. Nathan Hedrick picked up the win in relief, pitching 1 inning.

Barton's contest with Pratt slated for Saturday was postponed with no make-up date yet. After traveling to Garden City Wednesday, Barton will be home for two doubleheaders Sunday and Monday as Cloud County and Butler County come to Lawson Field. The Butler games Monday are make-up game from a rainout earlier this year.

Stats
Complete stats can be found at www.bartonccc.edu

Next
Wed., March 29 – at Garden City, 4 pm (West doubleheader at Garden City)