Cougars' split home doubleheader with Butler, erupt for season-high six home runs in the nightcap #GoBarton

Bouncing back from an opening setback, the Barton Community College baseball team split Thursday's doubleheader with Butler Community College at Jimmy Lawson-Danny Biggs Field, dropping the opener 7-5 before responding with an 18-8 seven-inning run-rule victory in the nightcap.

Barton was undone by a series of untimely breaks in the opener before responding in the nightcap with a season-high six home run outburst to salvage the doubleheader split.

The split moves the Cougars to 28-16 overall and 12-14 in conference play, while the Grizzlies stand at 23-19 on the season and 12-10 in league action. The four-game set concludes Saturday with a 1:00 p.m. first pitch from McDonald Stadium in El Dorado.

Barton combined for 27 hits and 23 runs across the twinbill with eight of nine in the lineup recording a hit in both contests. Leading the way, Micah McGavran went 5-for-8 with three home runs, a double, and five RBIs while scoring six times. Hayden Oviatt followed with a 5-for-7 performance, collecting a double, triple, and pair of home runs while driving in three.

Additional contributions came throughout the order as JJ Spafford added three hits, Dalton Jorgenson drove in a pair behind his 3-for-7 day, and Rhett Winchester contributing a three-hit showing and four RBI afternoon.

Game 1 Recap
The Cougars struck first in the opening frame as Carter Helm delivered an RBI ground-rule double before adding two more in the second behind McGavran's solo home run and Winchester's RBI double to build an early 3-1 lead. 

Butler responded in the third, capitalizing on a leadoff double and two-run home run to take the lead before adding two more in the fourth on a two-out, two-run single to extend the margin to 6-3.

Barton chipped away with single runs in the fifth and sixth, getting an RBI single from Kyle Graves and a solo home run from Oviatt to pull withing a run after the sixth.

The Cougars threatened in their last turn at the plate as Kyler Horsman worked a leadoff walk and Helm followed with his second double to put the tying run in scoring position, but were unable to capitalize as Butler turned a rare game-ending double play.

Barton finished with 11 hits in the contest, with eight of the nine in the lineup recording a hit. Winchester, Helm and Oviatt each led the way with two hits, while the trio joined Graves and McGavran in driving in a run.

Antonio Mendez (2-3) suffered the loss, working 6.2 innings with five strikeouts while allowing seven runs (six earned) on 11 hits. Daegen Vinduska recorded the final out in relief, facing two batters. 

Game 2 Recap
After surrendering two runs in the opening frame, the Cougars responded immediately with a two-out, four run rally as Horsman and Helm delivered back-to-back solo home runs before Oviatt capped the inning with a two-run blast to give Barton a 4-2 lead.

The Cougars broke the game open in the second, capitalizing on defensive miscues as Winchester highlighted the five-run frame with a three-run home run, his 12th of the year, before McGavran added the first of his two home runs in the nightcap on a two-run blast to extend the margin to 9-2.

Barton continued to add on with three runs in the fourth, taking advantage of an error and a wild pitch, before McGavran's second home run of the game, his third of the afternoon and 12th of the season, made it 14-6. Kyle Walker added a two-run single in the sixth, while Jorgensen delivered a walk-off two-run single in the seventh.

The Cougars' lineup remained active throughout, with eight of the nine recording a hit as part of a 16-hit outburst in the nightcap. McGavran highlighted the effort with his first collegiate four-hit game finishing 4-for-4 with a double, two home runs, and four RBIs while reaching base five times. Oviatt turned in his second three-hit game of the season, going 3-for-4 with a double, triple, and his sixth home run of the year, driving in two while finishing a single shy of the cycle.

Barton's bottom of the lineup also produced, as Spafford went 3-for-4 out of the nine-spot while Jorgenson added a 2-for-4 showing out of the eight hole with two RBIs.

Braden Hauschel (4-4) picked up the win, working 5.1 innings while tying his season high with five strikeouts, allowing seven runs (six earned) on 10 hits. Landon Ritchey followed in relief, closing out the final 1.2 innings allowing just one run on one hit.