Late runs send Barton Baseball to consolation side of Plains District Tournament #GoBarton

The Barton Community College baseball team was bounced to the consolation side of the Region VI/Plains District Tournament as the Hutchinson Community College Blue Dragons accounted for four of the final six runs edging out the Cougars 9-8 in 10-innings Tuesday afternoon at Kansas State University's Tointon Family Stadium.

Dropping to 41-17 on the year, second seeded Barton has a quick turnaround returning to Tointon Family Stadium for Wednesday's 11:30 a.m. elimination game against sixth seeded Cloud Community College.

Henry Hayman strung together the first of three straight two-out extra base hits with a double crossing for the opening run-on Dryden Howse RBI triple. Connor Allen capped the two-out rally with an RBI double four pitches later giving Barton a 2-0 edge.

Hutchinson countered back in the top of the second as back-to-back hits to open the frame cut the lead to one with a sacrifice fly two batters later tying it up at 2-2.

Benefitting off a leadoff Barton error and hit-by-pitch, the Blue Dragons broke the deadlock patching together their second consecutive two-run inning on a Jack Torosian RBI groundout and Hunter Gotreaux RBI single.

Not wasting time, a leadoff walk drawn by Howse and Allen's second double of the game kickstarted the Cougar offense in the bottom of the third. Pulling within one on a Shawn Marquis RBI groundout, three pitches later Caden Bressler brought the scoreboard even once more lacing his second straight single of the contest.

The Barton bats grasped a 5-4 edge in the fifth as Marquis second RBI game of the game coming on a sacrifice fly brought home a Howse leadoff walk.

Piecing together back-to-back singles to start the sixth, the Blue Dragons would knot it up for the third time on a Ryan Henderson one-out RBI single.

In the home sixth, Alex Rodgers needed just one pitch pushing the Cougars back out front 6-5 sending a two-out no-doubter over the left field fence for his fifth-round tripper of the season.

Battling back on two separate occasions prior, Hutchinson scraped back once more in the seventh as a leadoff single succeeded by a Cade Baker two-run blast pushed the Blue Dragons out front with an insurance run coming three batters later Ben McLaughlin's RBI double.

Trailing for just the second time, the Cougar bats answered the call in the bottom of the eighth as Wade Reynolds brought the deficit to one laying to rest a 0-for-16 skid roping a pinch-hit RBI double down the left field line bringing home a Bressler walk. One pitch later pinch runner Ethan Haufler pulled it back even advancing home on a wild pitch.

Facing a bases loaded jam with one-out in the ninth, Carson Cornelius and the Cougars escaped trouble turning their lone double-play.

Hitting into four double-plays on the afternoon, the big knock remained absent for the Cougar bats in the ninth, stranding the game winning run at third following a Hayman one-out hit-by-pitch, Howse single with a groundout extending the play into extra innings. 

Stranding 16 baserunners over the contest, Hutchinson benefited in the 10th as a pair of singles to open the inning and two-out walk fabricated the eventual game winning run on a Kael Babin bases loaded RBI walk.

Piecing the tying run and game winning run-on base following a leadoff Bressler walk, and Rodgers two-out walk, the Cougars rally attempt would fall short with a strikeout stranding the duo to end the comeback bid.

Starting pitcher Zach Thornton tossed four innings with five hits and two earned runs allowed. He struck out three and walked two in the no-decision effort.

Cornelius suffered the loss falling to 1-4 on the year working two innings with one run allowed, four walks and a strikeout.

Pounding out 11 hits, Allen pieced together a trio of hits with Howse and Bressler each producing 2-for-3 performances rounding out the multi-hit outings.