The Barton Community College baseball team opened its home schedule Thursday afternoon, sweeping Allen County Community College 8-3 and 10-9 at Jimmy Lawson-Danny Biggs Field.
The Cougars controlled the opener from the outset, scoring in five of their first six at-bats to build early separation in the 8-3 win. In the backend, Barton erased an early 5-0 deficit and trailed by five entering the sixth before mounting a four-run sixth inning, tying the game in the eighth and walking it off in the ninth on a wild pitch.
Jack Jewell provided the most consistent production at the plate, turning in the lone multi-hit efforts of the day by going 2-for-2 in the opener and 2-for-3 in the nightcap. JJ Spafford and Rhett Winchester joined Jewell with hits in both contests, with Spafford providing two of Barton's three extra-base hits across the twinbill, collecting a double in Game 1 and an RBI triple in Game 2.
The Cougars also capitalized on Allen County miscues in the nightcap, benefitting from five wild pitches that led to four runs, including the walk-off run, while one of the Red Devils' three balks in the doubleheader brought home the game-tying run in the eighth inning.
Barton's pitching staff delivered key shutdown innings in both games of the sweep. In the opener, Braden Hauschel worked four innings to earn his second victory of the year before Antonio Mendez closed out the final three frames without allowing a hit to secure the save. Eli Lang stabilized the middle innings in the nightcap with four frames on one-run relief and five strikeouts, while Trey Mackwood earned the victory after tossing a scoreless ninth to preserve the walk-off win.
Game 1 Recap
Barton secured the opening with an 8-3 victory, scoring in five of its six at-bats to build early separation.
The Cougars struck for two runs in the first and added two more in the second before extending the lead with steady run production through the middle innings. Kyle Walker's two-RBI single in the fifth provided key insurance, while Jewell and Spafford each recorded multi-hit efforts in the win.
On the bump, Hauschel worked four innings to earn his second victory before Mendez closed out the final three frames without allowing a hit. The duo retired 14 straight and combined to set down 15 of the final 16 hitters, with a two-out hit-by-pitch in the seventh serving as the lone baserunner over the final five innings.
Game 2 Recap
The nightcap required late heroics as Barton rallied for a 10-9 walk-off victory.
After falling behind 5-0 over the first inning and a half and trailing by five after four, the Cougars began the comeback in the sixth. Barton scored four runs in the inning, capitalizing on a trio of wild pitches that helped bring across three of the four runs with a Kyler Horsman bases loaded run scoring walk also mixed in, cutting the deficit to 9-8.
Barton pulled even in the eighth with a balk bringing home the tying run before completing the comeback in the ninth loading the bases behind a pair of Red Devils errors to open the frame and intentional walk loading the bases with one-out before a wild-pitch scoring Hunter Thoms securing the comeback.
Jewell led the offense with his second multi-hit effort of the day, while Spafford delivered one of Barton's two extra-base hits with an RBI triple. Jaxon Case accounted for the other extra-base hit with a one-out double in the sixth. Spafford and Case combined to drive in two of the Cougars' four RBIs in the contest.
Utilizing four pitchers in the nightcap, Lang provided stability through the middle frame, permitting just one run with five strikeouts to keep the comeback within reach. Mackwood secured his first victory of the season, facing the minimum in the ninth to preserve the walk-off win.