By BRANDON SMITH
Barton Sports Info
Sophomore Reece Hemmerling tossed a career high nine-inning complete game to power the Barton Community College baseball team to an opening Plains District Tournament victory over Hutchinson Community College on Wednesday afternoon at Eck Stadium in Wichita, KS.
The 10th seeded Cougars notched their seventh straight in a row to move into the winner's bracket of the eight-team double-elimination tournament with a 5-3 victory over the second-seeded and Jayhawk West champion Blue Dragons.
The Cougars (40-19) advance to the winner bracket semifinals to face third seeded Cowley College for the second straight year at approximately 4:00 p.m. on Thursday while the Blue Dragons (46-12) look to keep their season alive with a 10:00 a.m. first pitch against KJCCC West foe Dodge City.
Robby Bolin's leadoff triple on the first pitch would be one of two hits from the Cougars in the opening five-innings. Owen Clyne's first of three runs drove in one-batter later coming on a sacrifice-fly gifted Barton an early 1-0 lead.
Back-to-back run producing doubles following a leadoff single by the Blue Dragons in the bottom of the second gifted Hutchinson with their lone lead of 2-1.
Held in check succeeding Ayden Hadley's 10-pitch single coming with one-out in the second, Barton's next 11-batters sent to the plate would be retired before Cole Schieffer's reaching on the lone error of the game manufactured a key two run sixth inning. Bolin's reaching of a bunt single, followed by a one-out bases clearing Clyne triple pushed the Cougars in front for a 3-2 lead.
Needing just 99-pitches to secure his first nine-inning and sixth complete game of the season, Hemmerling worked out of a two-on jam in the bottom of the seventh stranding back-to-back Blue Dragon singles at second and third getting an infield pop-up and fly-out to escape trouble.
Clyne's big afternoon at the plate carried into the eighth with his double initiating the first of three straight two-out hits with Horsman's RBI single and Nottlemann's run producing double adding a pair of insurance runs for a 5-2 Cougar lead.
Despite yielding a leadoff double to open the bottom of the ninth, Hemmerling locked in need just three pitches following getting a sacrifice fly, fly-out and groundout to secure the nine-inning complete game on just 99-pitches.
Outhit 8-7 on the afternoon, Bolin and Clyne delivered four of Barton's seven hits with 2-5 and 2-4 performances respectfully.
Clyne led Barton's run produced department with three while Horeman and Nottlemann each added one.