By TODD MOORE
Barton Sports Info
Wichita, KS - The Barton Community College baseball team delivered its biggest win of the season Wednesday afternoon at Wichita State University's Eck Stadium, knocking off second-seeded and No. 2-ranked Cloud County Community College 11-9 in the opening round of the Region 6/Plains District double-elimination tournament.
Jumping out to an 8-0 cushion before weathering a seven-run seventh inning by the T-Birds, the Cougars answered immediately as Dalton Jorgensen delivered a two-run single in the eighth, breaking the 9-9 deadlock with the eventual game-winning runs.
The victory improves Barton to 34-20 overall and advances the Cougars into Thursday's 4:00 p.m. winner's bracket matchup against third-seeded Kansas City Kansas Community College at Eck Stadium. Cloud County falls to 49-6 and drops into the tournament's elimination bracket.
Barton wasted little time taking control, scoring in the first on Kyle Graves' two-out RBI double before Micah McGavran's three-run home run in the third, his 14th of the season, extended the lead to 4-0. The Cougars added four more runs in the fifth, highlighted by Kyle Walker's two-run double and Carter Helm's RBI single, to build an 8-0 advantage.
Cloud County finally broke through against Barton starter Antonio Mendez in the sixth, scoring the lone two runs charged to the sophomore right-hander. Turning to the bullpen in the seventh, the Cougars quickly saw the tide turn as the T-Birds sent 11 batters to the plate, with the first nine reaching base on six hits and four free passes, in a seven-run inning that erased Barton's lead and pulled the contest even at 9-9.
The Cougars answered immediately in the eighth, as McGavran drew a leadoff walk and Hayden Oviatt followed with his lone hit of the day. After JJ Spafford's sacrifice bunt moved both runners into scoring position, Jorgensen lined his third hit of the afternoon into right field for a two-run single, breaking the 9-9 tie with the eventual game winning runs.
Landon Ritchey preserved the lead in the bottom of the eighth, working around a one-out double and hit batter to strand the tying runs on-base. Trey Mackwood then recorded his second save of the season in the ninth, overcoming a one-out walk before inducing a game-ending lineout double-play.
Barton's offense produced a balanced 19-hit attack with all nine starters recording at least one hit and five turning in multi-hit performances. Winchester paced the effort with a 5-for-6 showing, while Walker went 3-for-6 with three runs scored and two RBIs as the top two spots in the lineup combined to go 8-for-12. McGavran drove in a team high three runs, highlighted by his 14th home run of the season, tying him for the third-most homers hit in a single season in program history.
Mendez delivered the staff's third straight quality start, limiting the T-Birds to two runs on five hits over six innings in the no-decision. The sophomore right-hander walked two and struck out two while throwing a season-high 100 pitches before Ritchey (5-0) earned the victory with two scoreless innings of relief and Mackwood recording the final three outs for his second save of the season.