The Barton Community College baseball team closed out its second straight four-game series sweep Friday afternoon, defeating Allen County Community College 6-1 and 15-5 in seven innings at Jimmy Lawson-Danny Biggs Field.
Behind Brian Justice's dominate six shutout innings allowing just one hit and Micah McGavern's pair of home runs, including an inside-the-park shot, the Cougars cruised to a 6-1 win to clinch the series. Barton then erupted for five runs in the first inning of the nightcap and paired timely hitting with 14 walks to secure the 15-5 run rule victory and complete the sweep.
Following the four-game sweep, the Cougars remain unbeaten at 8-0 on the year, while the Red Devils fall to 0-6. Barton continues its season-long nine-game homestand next Saturday with a twinbill against Northeast Community College before concluding the weekend Sunday with a doubleheader against Highland Community College. First pitch for both days is slated for 1:00 p.m. from Jimmy Lawson-Danny Biggs Field.
Justice headlined the pitching effort with six shutout innings, allowing just one hit while striking out a career high eight. Offensively, McGavern's pair of solo home runs paced the Cougars, accounting for two of the team's four fence clearers on the day.
Kyle Walker went 3-for-4 with five RBIs across the pair of contests and reached base six times after drawing three walks, while Kyle Graves led the team with four walks. The Cougars hit .400, drawing 17 walks and recorded eight extra-base hits among their 20 total hits in the sweep.
Game 1 RecapJustice set the tone from the start, improving to 2-0 on the season after tossing six shutout frames. The freshman retired the first 11 Red Devils he faced and did not allow a hit until a two-out double in the fourth. His final baserunner came on a two-out hit-by-pitch in the sixth, as Justice struck out a career high eight on just 74 pitches.
McGavern recorded the first two hits of his collegiate career in memorable fashion, launching a solo home run to left in the second inning to open the scoring before circling the bases with an inside the park home run in the fourth to extend Barton's lead. McGavern was one of three Cougars to drive in two runs in the contest, joined by Kyler Horsman and Walker, as Barton scored in four of the game's six plate appearances to maintain control and secure the Cougars 6-1 series clinching victory.
Game 2 RecapAfter Allen County struck for two runs in the top of the first, Barton answered immediately with five runs in the bottom half and never relinquished control in a 15-5 run rule victory in seven innings.
The Cougars built a 6-2 advantage through two innings behind a pair of home runs, as Carter Helm launched a two run shot in the opening frame for his first of the year and JJ Spafford followed with his second home run of the season to open the second. Barton continued to apply pressure through the middle innings, combining 11 hits with 14 walks and placing seven different players in the RBI column as the lead steadily expanded.
Austin Young worked the opening three innings in the no-decision effort before Horsman earned his second victory in relief to improve to 2-0. Landon Ritchey and Drew Koch handled the final frames as Barton closed out its second straight four game sweep.