The No. 25 Barton Community College baseball team extended its winning streak to five games Saturday afternoon, securing a three-game sweep with 2-1 and 9-4 victories over Kansas City Kansas Community College at the KCKCC Baseball Complex.
The doubleheader unfolded in contrasting fashion, as Barton edged out a 2-1 decision in the seven-inning opener before pulling away late in the nightcap, using a multi-run middle inning to create separation in a 9-4 victory.
With the weekend sweep, the Cougars improve to 14-2 on the season while the Blue Devils drop to 5-9 overall. Riding a five-game winning streak, Barton will now turn their focus to Thursday afternoon's Jayhawk Conference opener, hosting Seward County Community College in the first leg of a four-game set with first pitch scheduled for 1:00 p.m. at Jimmy Lawson-Danny Biggs Field.
At the plate, Rhett Winchester sparked the offense from the leadoff spot, finishing 4-for-7 across the twinbill with an RBI and three runs scored. Kyler Horsman added four hits of his own, driving in three runs while accounting for both RBIs in the 2-1 opener. Carter Helm delivered the loudest nightcap performance, going 3-for-5 with a home run and triple while driving in three, falling a double shy of the cycle in the series sweep.
Game 1 RecapBarton broke through with single runs in the fifth and seventh innings to edge KCK 2-1 in the seven-inning opener.
Horsman factored heavily into the outcome, going 3-for-4 with a double for the Cougars lone extra base hit while driving in both runs. Not only a presence at the plate, Horsman (3-0) handled the final two innings on the mound, allowing one run on two hits with a walk to earn his third victory of the season and secure the series win. Starter Braden Hauschel worked the opening two innings permitting one hit with four strikeouts before Landon Haines tossed the next three scoreless frames yielding, three hits, two walks and striking out three.
Game 2 RecapBarton broke a 2-2 tie with a four-run sixth inning and never looked back, finishing off the 9-4 victory to complete the three-game sweep.
After falling behind 2-1 through three innings, the Cougars evened the score in the fifth as Kyle Walker's groundout plated JJ Spafford's leadoff triple. Barton took control in the sixth, sending eight to the plate, sparked by Helm's leadoff solo home run for his fourth of the season. Bruin Sampson followed with a run-scoring groundout before Spafford's sacrifice fly and a Blue Devils wild pitch capped the decisive four run inning.
The Cougars continued to build the separation in the seventh and eighth. Walker opened the seventh with a single and Horsman double ahead of Helm's RBI groundout, while Sampson's leadoff double in the eighth helped set up RBI knocks from Winchester and Horsman to put the finishing touches on the weekend sweep.
Brian Justice took a no-decision behind four innings, allowing two runs before turning it over to the bullpen. Austin Young (2-0) earned the victory in relief, while Jake Field and Drew Koch combined for 3.1 scoreless innings down the stretch.