Sinks doubles to top of charts, Barton Baseball splits day one at Pratt

The Barton Community College baseball team rallied to steal one victory but couldn't overcome a four run inning in the nightcap as the Cougars split Saturday's doubleheader at Pratt Community College.  Forcing extra innings with a seventh inning two run rally, the Cougars took the opener in the eighth inning getting a three run home run to win 6-4.  Looking for the sweep, Pratt had other plans putting four runs on the board to break a two-all deadlock going on to a 7-2 victory.  The split moves Barton to 10-8 in conference play and 26-12 while Pratt stands at 4-13 in the Jayhawk and 14-22 overall.  The teams will conclude the four-game series on Sunday with a 1:00 p.m. doubleheader at Pratt's Stanion Field. 

Three Cougars finished the day with four hits as Barton pounded out fourteen hits in the opener with starting hurler Garret Rogers spinning a four-hit eight strikeout game.  

Amongst the fourteen hits was the notable third inning double by Michael Sinks in not only leading to Barton's first run, but recording his 34th career two-bagger to take over the top spot on the Barton historical chart.   Joining Drake Bliss last season with a fourth best single season performance of nineteen, Sinks drove a 0-1 pitch down the left field line for his 15th of the year surpassing the two year mark of Shawn Fischer set in the 2001-02 seasons.  Sinks would then score one batter later as Corrigan Bartlett's single gave Barton the early lead.

Pratt answered in the home half with a two out rally getting consecutive doubles before a home run suddenly put the Beavers up 3-1.

Alan Clark, who along with Sinks and Dawson Pomeroy had three hits in the game, sparked the Cougar seventh inning rally with a leadoff line drive to center.  Sinks followed with his second double of the game and one out later, Pomeroy pushed both runs across with his third hit.  

Following Rogers sending down the Beavers in order to force extra innings, it was time for the Cougars to launch another rally, this time with two outs as Matthew Baca kept the inning alive with a hard grounder glancing off the third baseman's glove.  Clark then ripped the first pitch of his at-bat for his third hit before Sinks jumped on another 0-1 pitch depositing it on the far side of the left field fence for his team leading fifth of the season.

Rogers looked to close out the game in the eighth getting the first two batters out, but a single and a Barton infield error signaled a call to the bullpen.  Pomeroy induced a final groundout for his third save of the year while helping Rogers improve to 4-5 on the year while keeping Corey Steward winless at 0-4.

Consecutive singles by Bartlett and Pomeroy gave the Cougars the early lead in the night cap but unfortunately for Barton the two hits were of just five the bats would produce in the game.

Pratt opened up the second inning with consecutive singles but three-time Jayhawk pitcher of the week Jarrett Seaton looked to be getting out of the inning.  Retiring the next two batters, Darrian Aldridge proved a tough customer fouling off Seaton's 2-2 pitch before consecutive balls out of the zone loaded the bases.  Two more singles ensued with Seaton escaping further damage with a strikeout but on the down side of a 2-1 score.

Just like in game one, the duo of Clark and Sinks came through as Clark led off the inning with a double with two pitches later scoring on Sinks' line drive into left field to tie the game up.

Seaton and the Cougars couldn't put halt to the Beavers in the pivotal fifth as a one-out infield error followed by three consecutive singles would end Seaton's day trailing 4-2.  Taylor Langston's reign on the mound was greeted by Ben Van Diest's RBI double to left field before a four pitch walk would load the bases.  Trevor Wetzel's bloop single tacked on the final run as the Cougars escaped further damage getting a middle infield double play to get out of the inning.

Things started going the way of the Cougars in the sixth as Pomeroy reached on a dropped third strike, Trey Pittman singled, and Kaden Fowler walked to load the bases.  Pratt starting pitch Dylan Hamilton then struck out his sixth Cougar before the Beaver defense executed a double play with Josh Jones fielding a ball and tagging first before firing home to get Pomeroy at the plate.

The Beavers would tack on an insurance run with a two-out single before Jacob Compton shut the door in the seventh sending the Cougars down in order.

Hamilton stayed undefeated on the season improving to 4-0 on the year while handling his first collegiate defeat as the Nebraska freshman dropped to 7-1 on the year.