Cougars bounce back for doubleheader split at Seward; Rodgers sets single season stolen bases record #GoBarton

Alex Rodgers rewrote the programs single season steals mark with four stolen bases on the afternoon and third baseman Henry Hayman drove in 10 of his 11 RBIs on the day in nightcap setting the programs most RBIs produced in a single game in recent memory leading the Barton Community College baseball team to a Jayhawk West split with the Seward County Saints on Thursday at Brent Gould Field in Liberal, KS.

After dropping the series opener 8-6 in the late innings, Hayman, Ricardo Sanchez and Rodgers played key roles in the back end combining for 19 of the 26 RBIs in a 27-2 seven-inning run rule victory.

Receiving votes in the latest NJCAA Division I National Rankings, the Cougars maintained their hold on first place in the Jayhawk West at 16-6 and 29-11 overall with the Saints sitting at 5-13 in league play and 12-28 on the season.

The series will shift locations on Saturday with the first of the twinbill scheduled for a 1:00 p.m. first pitch from Lawson-Biggs Field.

Game 1
Barton collected just six hits against Seward County's trio of pitchers used striking out eight times over seven-innings and stranding nine baserunners in the loss.

The Cougars offense came in the opening inning as a Rodgers walk and stolen base put runners on the corners following Sanchez single. One batter later Hayman broke open the scoring with an RBI groundout with Dryden Howse doubling the lead on a 0-1 pitch on an RBI single to left.

The Saints touched Barton starter Zach Thornton early with three straight hits in the bottom of the first trimming the lead in half on Jaxson Gregg's RBI single. A sacrifice-fly the very next batter knotted it with Thornton limiting the damage one pitch later inducing an ending inning 6-4-3 double play.

Barton grasped their final lead in the fourth as a two-out Sanchez double drove in a one-out Jace Stewart single and Rodgers reaching on one of two Saints errors in the frame. The Cougars doubled the advantage benefitting off a pair of Seward freebees on Howse's bases loaded RBI hit-by-pitch and Jordan Ellison's bases loaded RBI walk.

Three straight Seward singles to open the home half of the fourth cut the margin in half. Four walks, a hit-by-pitch and two singles fueled a four run fifth suppling the only lead the Saints would need with an insurance run coming on a two-out RBI single in the sixth.

Thornton earned a no decision allowing a season tying five earned runs and seven hits over four innings. He struck out two and walked three. Ian Lanik suffered his second loss of the season falling to 3-2 on the year working 0.1-innings giving up two runs on two hits, walking one and striking out one. Carson Cornelius tossed the final 1.2-innings allowing a pair of hits and one unearned run.

Game 2
The Cougars reached 20 runs in a game for the fourth time this season and tied for the most runs scored in Barton's single-game history. 

Barton scored nine runs in the top of the first sending 13 batters to the plate as Wade Reynolds, Joel Nieves, Rodgers, Sanchez recorded an RBI apiece with Hayman delivering the big blows of the inning driving in four of his game high 10 RBIs with a two-run single and two-run double.

The third inning the Cougars would plate four additional runs to their 9-0 lead as Hayman generated his second two-run double and third two-run hit in as many innings with Connor Allen and Reynolds adding RBI singles.

Seward got on the board in the bottom of the third taking advantage on a leadoff walk and single with a two-out Cougar error prolonging the inning.

A Sanchez sacrifice fly added the 14th run of the game bringing home Colter Maldonado's pinch-hit leadoff single.

Starter David Stuart limited the damage in his second straight troubled inning in the bottom of the fourth as a leadoff walk, one-out hit batsman and RBI single formed the lone run of the frame as the freshman recorded back-to-back flyouts stranding a pair.

The fifth inning Barton generated eight runs in the inning. Three straight one-out walks setup a two-RBI Maldonado single with two more walks furnishing a Rodgers RBI free pass and Sanchez two-RBI double. On the very next pitch Hayman blasted the first of his two two-run home runs for a 22-4 lead.

Barton added their fourth crooked number of the game in the sixth as a Nieves RBI single drove in a leadoff hit-by-pitch drawn by Beau Baumgardner. Ahead in the count 3-0, Rodgers blasted his second home run of the season for his fourth knock of the day. A second hit-by-pitch in the frame to Sanchez fueled to the Cougars' second two-run home run of the frame as Hayman teed off his second of the day and fourth of the season resting the final margin at 27-2.

In the opening inning, Rodgers tied the programs single season stolen bases record at 40 set by George Martinez and Glenn Jackson back in 2002. Rodgers etched his name alone in the record books in the top of the second swiping his fourth bag of the day and 41st of the season in 45 attempts.

Stuart notched his first victory as a starting pitcher tossing four innings improving to 2-1 on the season allowing two runs, one unearned, walking four and striking out two.

Cade Kohlmeier, Kade Walker and Logan Redeker all tossed an inning in relief allowing no runs while combining for seven strikeouts in their nine outs recorded.