Barton Baseball sweeps Colby claiming the program’s 10th Jayhawk West Title #GoBarton

The Barton Community College baseball team had plenty to celebrate Friday afternoon in the final home regular season games at Lawson-Biggs Field as the Cougars took care of home turf earning a 6-5 and 18-10 doubleheader sweep over Colby Community College clinching the program's 10th Jayhawk West crown.

Exploding for four doubles and four runs in the third inning, Barton withstood a late Trojan charge as Logan Redeker secured his first collegiate save stranding the tying run at second locking down a 6-5 win in the opener. In the nightcap, the Cougars overcame a pair of six run deficits with back-to-back six run frames cruising to the 18-10 twin bill sweep.

Securing its' first title since the 2018 season, the Cougars sit at 23-7 in the KJCCC and 38-15 overall while Colby slips to 20-10 in the Jayhaw West and 34-18 on the season. The teams will conclude the 2022 regular season Saturday with a 1:00 p.m. doubleheader from Colby's Memorial Field.

Alex Rodgers led the offense out of the leadoff spot slashing .875 on the afternoon going 7-for-8 from the dish driving in five runs, scoring seven times and swiping five bags extending his program single season runs (105) and steals (54) records.

Ricardo Sanchez drove in a team high six runs becoming the school's new single season RBIs record holder with 84 while the freshman concluded the day 3-for-8 lacing a triple and pair of doubles extending his program's two-bag single season record to 34.

Joel Nieves pieced together a second team best average of .833 concluding the day 5-for-6 out of the nine spot driving in one and crossing the plate four times.

Game 1
Starter Zach Thornton permitted just two baserunners over the opening three innings setting the tone for the Cougar offense in the third.

Held to just one hit through the opening two frames, Nieves got things a cooking for the Cougars lacing the first of three straight doubles to jumpstart the third. Rodgers broke open the scoring on the next pitch exchanging places with Nieves before Sanchez manufactured the second tally furnishing the first of his two hit two-bag afternoon. Dryden Howse concluded the doubles parade a batter later with his first of three on the afternoon. Connor Allen closed the four run frame three pitches later delivering an RBI single to left.

Working his second 1-2-3 frame in the fourth, Thornton encountered his first troubled spot in the fifth as his four run cushion would be trimmed to one on a two-out Cleary Simpson three-run home run to center.

Barton would get one of the three runs back in the fifth, as a Henry Hayman one-out single to center would bring home a Rodgers leadoff hit-by-pitch and steal of second extending the lead to 5-3.

Colby drew back to within one on the very first pitch of the sixth as Jake Ticer opened the inning with a solo-shot to center. Regrouping after the big fly, Thornton stranded a two-out walk striking out the side keeping the Barton lead at 5-4.

The Cougars fired right back with the eventual game winning run in the home sixth as a Rodgers sacrifice fly to left pushed the advantage back to two runs driving in pinch runner Riley Silva following Caden Bressler's leadoff pinch hit single snapping an 0-for-15 skid.

Facing some late inning drama in the seventh as a Trojan leadoff single, one-out double and RBI groundout off closer Carson Cornelius slicing the margin to 6-5, the Cougars called upon Redeker to battle in a left on left matchup against Ticer. Needing just four pitches, the freshman sidewinder won the battle closing the door for his first collegiate save inducing a fly-out to center stranding the tying run at second.

Improving to 8-0 on the year Thornton moves into a seventh place tie for wins in a single season. Thornton scattered five hits allowing four runs in his six innings of work, walking a pair and striking out six moving into a tie for fifth most punch outs in a single season at 82.

Game 2
Things looked grim after the top of the first inning as the Cougars found themselves in a 6-0 hole before coming to the plate. Leading off with the first of six singles and first of four stolen bases produced in the nightcap by Rodgers, Barton cut into the six run deficit taking advantage of the lone Trojan miscue allowing Howse to reach and Rodgers to score with two outs.

One pitch into the second, Colby reclaimed a six-run lead and held their final lead of the afternoon following Ticer's second round tripper of the afternoon.

The Cougars mounted the start of the comeback in the home half of the second as a Shawn Marquis leadoff single ensued by a Wade Reynolds walk activated a contagious hit parade for the Barton offense. Nieves provided the first RBI in the frame with Rodgers, Hayman and Howse each knocking in a run with Allen providing the equalizing runs with his fourth triple of the season plating two.

Hollis Huff escaped trouble in the top of third recording his lone strikeout leaving the bases loaded full of Trojans. The Barton bats maintained the momentum in the home third piling up their second straight six run frame taking a 13-7 lead with RBIs coming off the bats of Rodgers, Hayman, Howse, Marquis and a pair on Sanchez two-out two RBI triple.

A leadoff hit-by-pitch and double fashioned a pair of Trojan runs in the fourth trimming the Cougar advantage to 13-9.

Sitting tied atop the program's RBI single season record, Sanchez would produce his second double of the contest extending the Barton lead back to six overtaking the top spot in the record books driving in back-to-back Nieves and Rodgers two-out singles.

Scoreless over the next three innings, Colby would piece together their final run on a two-out RBI Kyle Froehlich triple.

Answering once more in the home frame, the Cougars closed the scoring posting their fourth crooked number of the game on Rodgers' RBI single, Sanchez sacrifice fly, and Hayman's ninth big fly to left center tying for the team lead with Allen.

Tossing 1.1-innings, Huff notched his first victory of the season allowing two runs on one hit, walking a pair and striking out one.

Earning his second save of the season, Ian Lanik was exceptional out of the bullpen working five innings giving up just one run on two hits and striking out five.

Starter David Stuart earned a no-decision tossing 0.1-innings scattering three hits, six runs, walking three and recording one strikeout.