The No. 23 Barton Cougar baseball team pounded out 29 hits and 30 runs to sweep the Butler Grizzlies 14-4 in five and 16-3 in seven innings Saturday.
Six of the 29 hits were for extra bases including two leaving the yard, the first connection coming on Tate Blasi's three-run first inning home run later topped by Ayden Hadley's sixth inning grand slam, his fifth of the season helping secure the opening game run-rule in five innings.
Blasi, along with freshman Kyle Walker batted .714 on the afternoon as each went 5-for-7 at the dish. Blasi's big day started with a 3-for-4 performance with 4 RBIs in the opener, belting his fifth home run of the season capping the seven run first frame.
Barton (20-8, 12-4 Jayhawk West) remain two losses back of first place Colby and dropped Butler to 17-13, 9-7 Jayhawk West. The Cougars travel to No. 5 Cowley College Tuesday before a 4-game set with Colby.
COUGARS 14, BUTLER 4 (G1) — Barton Cougar Ayden Hadley drilled a grand-slam homer to speak a 14-4 run-rule victory over the Butler Grizzlies. Tate Blasi hammered a 3-run homer and drove home four runs.
The Cougars scored seven runs in the first inning and seven runs in the fifth inning. John Connors singled home Tyler Janssen and Kyle Walker's single scored Connors and Hadley to ignite a 7-run first inning. Blasi's homer scored Walker and Wyatt Yetter.
Hadley's grand slam scored Hunter Alvord, Hector Gomez and Blasi for a 12-4 lead. Walker's single scored Connors. Yetter scored the game-winner on Blasi's single.
Pote improved to 4-2 on the season going the distance in the opener permitting four runs on five hits with a walk and trio of strikeouts. The freshman escaped traffic in the first and second innings inducing twin killing double-plays with a third straight nearly coming in the top of the third.
Butler's Lough hit a 3-run homer.
Barton (19-8, 11-4 Jayhawk West) drops Butler to 17-12, 9-6 Jayhawk West.
COUGARS 16, BUTLER 3 (G2) — Barton's John Connors, Cesar Gomez and Kyle Walker reach drove home three runs as the Cougars built an 12-2 through four innings with a 7-run fourth inning.
Hunter Alvord, Kyle Graves each drove home two runs.
Cesar Gomez scored on Alvord's single. Alvord and Janssen scored on a Connors double. Hadley scored on an error. Yetter scored on Walker's single. Walker scored on K Graves' double for an 11-2 lead.
In game two the Cougars were knotted up with the Grizzlies 2-2, until the home third when Barton scored three of their 10-unanswered runs over the next two innings breaking the contest open with an additional four runs crossing in the sixth inning.
Walker delivered the big blow in the frame lacing a two-run single for two of his team leading six RBIs finishing 3-for-4 in the nightcap after a 2-for-3 game one performance, following John Connors go-ahead sacrifice fly prior scoring Hunter Alvord's reaching on one of six Butler errors.
Cesar Gomez and Hadley were close behind in batting at a .600 clip, going 3-for-5 with three and five RBIs respectfully. Gomez shook off a 0-for-2 game one performance snapping his season high four game hitting streak with a 3-for-3 series finale and three RBI outing.
With all the offense, Barton received solid starting pitching performances from Owen Pote and Ethan Minaker while relievers Andrew McCarthy and Preston Golden tossed scoreless frames in their inning of work.
Bouncing back from his shortest outing of the season, Minaker tossed five innings in collecting the victory moving to 2-2 on the season. The sophomore matched his career high seven strikeouts, scattering seven hits, three runs and a walk. McCarthy worked a scoreless sixth inning.
Butler 004 10 — 4 5 1
Barton 700 07 — 14 14 0
Hinther, Ralstin (1), Clark (5), Gibbs (5) and Ellison. Pote and Hadley. W—Pote, 4-2. Hinther. HR—Barton—Hadley, Tate; Butler—Lough, Todd
Butler 101 010 0 — 3 8 6
Barton 023 704 x — 16 15 1
Rhodes, Welu (4), Schrupp (4), McClure (5), Haneberg (6), Haag (6) and Ellison. Minaker, McCarthy (6), Golden (7) and Hadley. W—Minaker, 1-2. L—Rhodes. 2B—Barton—Connors, Graves, Blasi; Butler—Rose. 3B—Barton—Alvord
JAYHAWK WEST
Colby 10-2 22-10
Cloud 12-4 23-10
Barton 12-4 20-8
Hutchinson 7-5 25-8
Butler 9-7 17-13
Garden City 5-7 16-14
Dodge City 4-12 18-15
Pratt 3-13 8-26
Seward 2-10 16-19
3-27—Butler 16-14, Barton 9-10; Colby 14-14, Dodge City 10-13; Hutchinson 11-20, Allen 1-4; Garden City 13-15, Pratt 11-12; Seward 7-9, Cloud 6-17
3-29—Barton 14-16, Butler 4-3; Cloud 9-14, Seward 3-4; Colby 9-8, Dodge City 8-7; Hutchinson 17-11, Allen 3-2; Pratt 10, Garden City 9
4-1—Barton at Cowley; McCook, Neb. at Colby; Kansas City at Butler; Otero, Colo. at Garden City; Dodge City at Hesston
4-3—Colby at Barton; Cloud at Hutchinson; Butler at Seward; Garden City at Dodge City; Neosho at Pratt
