The No. 25 Barton Community College baseball team responded from its first setbacks of the season in decisive fashion Tuesday afternoon at Jimmy Lawson-Danny Biggs field, sweeping Highland Community College with 12-2 and 15-2 five-inning run-rule victories.
Barton seized control early in the opener and carried that momentum into an offensive surge in the nightcap. After building separation in Game 1, the Cougars poured in 14 runs across the first three innings of the finale to put the game out of reach.
With the sweep, the Cougars close out their nine-game homestand at 11-2 overall, while the Scotties fall to 0-10 on the season. Barton hits the road to kickoff a three-game weekend set at Kansas City Kansas Community College, beginning with a 2:00 p.m. nine-inning opener Friday before wrapping up the series Saturday with a 12:00 p.m. doubleheader.
Held to just 12 hits 24 hours earlier, the Cougar bats erupted with 27 runs on 24 hits across Tuesday's twinbill, including four home runs. Kyle Walker led the lineup with a .800 afternoon at the plate, going 4-for-5 with three extra base hits, including his second home run of the season, while driving in five runs and scoring five times. Jaxon Case and Hunter Thoms each added four hits, while Kyler Horsman drove in a team-high seven runs behind a pair of home runs in the nightcap, highlighted by a third-inning grand slam.
On the mound, Barton pitchers combined to allow just four earned runs across 10 innings of work to complement the offensive surge.
Game 1 Recap
The Cougars jumped on Highland early in the opener, scoring five runs in the first inning and never looked back in the 211-2 five-inning run-rule victory. Walker opened the scoring with an RBI groundout after a one-out triple, Carter Helm added a triple of his own, and Case's two-run double helped call the five-run frame with four coming behind two-outs.
Barton continued to add on throughout, highlighted by Thoms' two-run triple in the three-run third inning and walk off single in the fifth as the Cougars piled up 15 hits.
On the mound, Landon Haines (1-0) earned his first victory of the season, working three innings while allowing two runs and striking out two. Aidan Medina closed out the final two frames, surrendering just one hit to seal the five-inning run-rule victory.
Game 2 Recap
Barton wasted little time taking control in the nightcap, scoring two runs in the first inning before erupting for five in the second and seven more in the third en route to a 15-2 five-inning run-rule victory.
Walker ignited the offense with a two-run home run in the opening frame, while Case added a solo-shot later in the third. Horsman delivered the biggest swing of the afternoon with a grand-slam in the same inning as part of his two-home-run, seven-RBI performance. The Cougars capped the scoring in the fourth on Tyler Janssen's pinch-hit RBI double, plating Bruin Sampson following his one-out pinch-hit walk.
Starter, Austin Young (1-0) notched his first collegiate victory, tossing three innings of one-run ball, while Landon Ritchey and Drew Koch combined to close out the final two frames.