Barton Baseball opens home slate with doubleheader sweep #GoBarton

The Barton Community College baseball team barely skipped a beat Thursday afternoon as the Cougars earned a pair of victories over the junior varsity squad of Kansas Wesleyan.

The victories improve the Cougars to 11-2 on the season. The four-game series will shift to Salina, KS on Monday, as Barton will look for their fourth straight series victory. First pitch slated at Dean Evans Stadium for 2:00 p.m.

Game One Recap
Clay Wesbrooks set the tone early and often in the opener, finishing with eleven strikeouts and just five hits in six innings of work. Wesbrooks (3-0) gave way to Jordan Ellison for a pair of punch-outs in the following inning chalking up the final of thirteen game one strikeouts.

While Wesbrooks and Ellison were shutting the Coyotes down, the Cougar bats started a little slow before plating a pair in the third and three in the fourth.

Carson Pracht broke the scoreless affair with an RBI single to left center scoring Adam Schrag who got the inning started with a leadoff double to right center. A batter later Noah Geekie doubled the Barton lead reaching on an RBI fielder's choice.

The Cougars broke through the ensuing inning with a two-out rally taking advantage of three Coyote errors with Alex Rodgers and Andrew Stewart delivering RBI's to close out the scoring.

The Coyotes pieced together a pair of baserunners in the top of the fifth, but hurler Wesbrooks got out of the jam with a fly out and strikeout looking.

Rodgers along with Stewart led the Barton bats with multi-hit performances with Pracht and Geekie joining to help lead the RBI production with one apiece.

Game Two Recap
In the nightcap the Cougars pieced together a seven spot in the opening frame benefiting off two Coyote errors. Tristan Charles broke the doors open for the Cougars lacing a 2-out bases clearing 3 RBI double giving the Cougars a 5-0 cushion. Stewart collected one of his game high three RBI's three batters later capping the seven run frame.

Barton would extend the lead in the home half of the second as Geekie delivered a sacrifice fly bringing home Pracht who led off with a triple.

Looking to put the dagger in the Coyotes, Charlie Peyla laced his lone hit on the day with a bases loaded 2 RBI double. Following a wild pitch scoring Connor Scott, Stewart delivered his fourth hit of the contest scoring a pair capping a six run fourth.

Starter Graham Brunner (2-0) pieced together a strong performance allowing one hit over four innings, walking a pair and fanning seven Coyotes in the winning effort. Will Hann entered in relief going an inning allowing three runs on three hits.

Stewart notched the lone multi-hit performance in the second game finishing a perfect 4-for-4 driving in a trio of Cougars.