By TODD MOORE
Barton Sports Info
It doesn't happen often to the Barton Community College baseball team but on Sunday in Dodge City the Cougars had one of those days in dropping both ends of a doubleheader with a pair of 12-2 losses at Dodge City Community College.
Both games fell below the scheduled innings to be played, Dodge City scoring in every frame to cap the opener with a four-run fifth then put another four runs on the board in the eighth to shortened the backend contest.
Barton's third straight loss drops to 13-7 in KJCCC action and 26-11 on the year while Dodge City's first series win over the Cougars since 2016 improves the Conquistadors to 11-5 in league play and 26-12 overall.
The Cougars step out of conference play on Tuesday for a 12:00 p.m. doubleheader versus the junior varsity squad of McPherson College before resuming KJCCC play on Thursday at Cloud County Community College.
Game 1 Recap (L 12-2)
Despite four strikeouts in the first two innings, Bradley Feezer took the game one loss falling to 3-3 on the year as a pair of Barton errors helped the Conquistadors plate three runs in the first before an interference call kept the second frame alive resulting in another run digging the Cougars a four run deficit.
Barton collected just four hits in the opener, three coming in the third inning as Wyatt Yetter's leadoff hit would score following a wild pitch and Robby Bolin's RBI single. Owen Clyne led the Cougars with two hits, the first coming on a 12-pitch at-bat resulting in an infield single plating Bolin to cut the deficit in half.
The Conquistadors responded with a pair of hits leading off the home half with Barton's third error resulting in two additional runs hitting the home side of the scoreboard to chase Feezer from the mound.
Dodge City plated an additional run in the third on a two-out double, one in the fourth, and a final four plate crossers in the fifth including a two-run home run for one of seven extra base hits for the Conquistadors in the contest.
Game 2 Recap (L 12-2)
Dodge City grabbed a second inning run before opening up a five spot lead in the fourth. A leadoff walk trotted home on a fence-clearer then loaded the bases on a pair of hits and a 1-out walk. The Conquistadors pushed across two runs on consecutive fielder's choices with Barton's lone error of the nightcap plating another for a 5-0 deficit.
A solo home run led off the Dodge City fifth frame extending the lead to 6-0.
The Cougars picked up a run in the sixth, Bolin and Jaron Cotton leading off the frame with hits as Clyne's groundout the lone run producer.
A walk and hit by pitch set up Dodge City's two-run seventh on two hits with the Cougars escaping further damage rolling up their second double play of the game.
Trailing by seven, Barton threatened a big eighth inning with Bolin and Cotton each collecting their second hit of the game to begin the frame with Clyne's walk loading the bases. Brock Howard's sacrifice fly would be all the Cougars would push across in matching game one's seven stranded base runners.
Dodge City wouldn't give Barton another final at-bat on the day, doing damage with two-outs on an RBI double and single as the Conquistadors' third home run of the game walked off the final two runs.
Ethan Minaker took his first loss of the year dropping to 3-1 following four innings of work.