Barton drops four-game series to No. 19 Hutchinson, suffers first conference sweep since 2016 #GoBarton

The Barton Community College baseball team experienced something it hadn't since 2016, suffering its first four-game conference series sweep Saturday afternoon after dropping the final two games of the weekend set to No. 19 Hutchinson Community College 11-3 and 21-11 in eight innings at Jimmy Lawson-Danny Biggs Field.

The Cougars fell behind in the opener, as the Blue Dragons broke a 1-0 game open with a four-run third before adding on in the fifth and sixth to pull away in the series clinching 11-3 victory. In the nightcap, Barton answered in their first turn at the plate with a four-run first inning behind Kyler Horsman's three-run double, but Hutchinson responded with runs in six of the next seven frames, including three consecutive four-run innings, to regain control in the 21-11 eight-inning decision.

The setbacks drop the Cougars to 27-15 overall and 11-13 in league play while the Blue Dragons improve to 34-9 on the season and remain second in the Jayhawk West standings at 16-4. Barton will step out of conference play Tuesday, traveling to Arkansas City for a 2:00 p.m. contest at Cowley College in the final game of a home-and-home midweek series after taking the first leg 15-4 in seven innings three weeks ago.

Kyle Walker set the tone offensively, going 6-for-7 with a pair of doubles while reaching base in eight of his nine plate appearances adding a walk and hit-by-pitch to raise his conference-leading average to .500. Rhett Winchester, Carter Helm, Bruin Sampson, and Karston Wall each produced hits in both contests as Barton combined for 22 hits on the day.

Helm finished 3-for-6 with a double and two RBIs, with Horsman driving in a team-high three runs. Sampson concluded 3-for-8 with two RBIs, while Jaxon Case and Mitchel Kramer each produced pair of runs after entering off the bench in the nightcap.

Game 1 Recap
Hutchinson struck first in the opener and never trailed, using a four-run third inning to build separation before adding on late in an 11-3 decision.

After taking advantage of a Barton error to plate a run in the opening frame, the Blue Dragons strung together four hits in the third to push across four runs and extend the margin to 5-0. Hutchinson added a run in the fifth before breaking it open further with four runs in the sixth.

Barton got on the board in the fifth, capitalizing on a Blue Dragon error with Wall coming around to score before Graves added an RBI groundout. The Cougars tacked on their final run in the seventh behind Walker's RBI single bringing across Winchester's two-out single.

Walker paced Barton offensively with a 4-for-4 showing including a double and RBI, while Helm added two hits with Sampson and Wall each contributing base knocks.

On the mound, Brian Justice (3-5) suffered the loss after allowing six runs on 10 hits over 4.2 innings as the Blue Dragons finished with 16 hits in the contest.

Game 2 Recap
Barton's four-run opening frame in the nightcap was quickly answered by Hutchinson, which scored in six of the final seven innings, including three straight four-run frames, in a 21-11 eight-inning decision.

The Cougars erased a quick 1-0 lead in its first trip to the place, sending all nine to the plate capitalizing on four hits as Horsman delivered a bases-clearing double before Helm followed with an RBI single to make it 4-1.

The lead was short-lived as Hutchinson responded with four runs in the third before adding four more in both the fourth and fifth innings to take control. 

Barton cut into the deficit in the sixth, stringing together a five-run frame all with two outs. Winchester's two-out double ignited the rally before walks to Walk and Horsman loaded the bases. Helm's ensuing walk forced in a run, followed by Case's pinch-hit two-run single and Sampson's two-run double.

Hutchinson answered over the next two innings to maintain the separation before the Cougars pushed across the final two runs in the eighth on Mitchel Kramer's two-out, two-run single.

Barton finished with 11 runs on 12 hits in the nightcap, with Walker, Winchester and Sampson each collecting two hits. Horsman drove in a team-high three while Sampson and Case each added a pair of RBIs.

The Cougars utilized five arms in the contest with Horsman (5-1) taking the loss after allowing eight runs (seven earned) on eight hits over three innings.