Big flies send Barton Baseball to doubleheader sweep at Northeastern #GoBarton

A pair of solo-shot home runs sparked the offense on Tuesday afternoon as the Barton Community College baseball team picked up a non-conference doubleheader sweep at Northeast Community College in Norfolk, Nebraska.

Tate Blasi's fourth home run over his last four games led off the decisive three-run top of the third in game one's 5-1 victory before Hunter Alvord's third blast of the season in the fourth inning of the nightcap, supplied the go-ahead and eventual game winner to complete the 4-3 doubleheader sweep.

The victories improve Barton to 14-4 overall while the losses drop the Hawks to 14-9 overall.

Winners of five-straight, the Cougars will return home Thursday in hosting the opening two games of a highly anticipated four-game Jayhawk West tilt with No. 20 Cloud County Community College. First pitch of Thursday's doubleheader is slated for 1:00 p.m. from Lawson-Biggs Field before concluding the four-game series on Saturday at Concordia's Lee Doyen Field.

Managing just nine hits over 14-innings, Alvord paced the Barton bats turning in the lone two-hit day going 2-for-6 with the home run, a walk, two-RBIs, and three runs scored.

Game 1 Recap
Locked in a pitching duel with both teams stranding three runner's each over the opening two innings, Blasi broke open the score distributing a 2-1 pitch over the right field fences for his fourth of the season.

A hit-by-pitch drawn by Alvord and walk to Ayden Hadley ensued Blasi's big fly creating two more runs in the third on John Connors fielder's choice and Cesar Gomez RBI sacrifice-bunt, gifting Barton a 3-0 lead.

Alvord's first RBI of the day extended the lead to 4-0 in the top of the fourth reaching on a fielder's choice bringing home Barrett Donaldson's reaching of a two-base Hawks error to open the inning.

Following a Hawks run in the home fourth cutting the deficit to 4-1, Barton capped the scoring with three straight singles to open the fifth as Hayden Oviatt's single brought in Connors leadoff single with Gomez lone hit of the day mixed between.

Despite no multi-hit performances, six different Cougars furnished a hit in the victory despite being outhit 8-6.

Making his second start of the season, Braden Hauschel (2-0) collected his second victory of the season. The freshman worked the opening four innings, permitting five hits, one run, with two walks and pair of strikeouts.

A trio of relievers worked an inning apiece each recording a punchout. Andrew McCarthy and Kiernan Meredith allowed a hit over their inning of work with Preston Golden throwing a clean seventh to secure the victory. 

Game 2 Recap
Facing a 3-0 deficit coming to bat for the second time, Barton began to chip away cutting the deficit to 3-2, as the lone Hawks error scored leadoff Wyatt Yetter and Kyler Walker walks to open the second.

As the Cougars were held to just two hits in the backend, Alvord's first of two knocks in the nightcap and pair of stolen bases provided the tying run in the top of the third scoring on a passed ball, before distributing the two-out go-ahead blast and eventual game winner over the right field fences for his fourth of the season pushing the Cougars out front 4-3.

Utilizing five pitchers over the contest, the Cougar pitching staff fought around command issues allowing six of their 10 walks and trio of hit batsmen over the final four innings but would not break, yielding just one hit in the final four frames coming off a two-out single in the bottom of the fourth.

Making his first collegiate start, Eli Lang earned a no-decision going three-innings. Lang struck out one and allowed three hits, three runs and four walks.

Cade Kunz (1-0) collected the victory in relief, with two-shutout innings, permitting one hit, one walk and one strikeout to secure his first collegiate win.

Making his Cougar debut, Jack Dilley handled a scoreless sixth with a strikeout and three walks.

Cam Bergstrom started the seventh lasting 0.2-innings, walking two and producing a strikeout before handing off to Jackson MacWilliams for his first save of the seeing retiring his lone hitter faced with a strikeout to lock down the 4-3 victory.

The Cougars were outhit 5-2 while the two teams combined for 17 total walks over the 17-innings.