Cardiac Cougars at it again with 5-run 7th to sweep Seward; Nehls throws shutout

Cardiac Cougars at it again with 5-run 7th to sweep Seward; Nehls throws shutout
The Barton County Community College baseball team once again won in walk-off fashion Monday afternoon in the nightcap of a Jayhawk West doubleheader at Lawson Field. This time the Cougars scored 5 times in the bottom of the 7th inning to rally for a 6-5 win over Seward and complete a sweep of the Saints in West play. Barton rode a strong pitching effort from Brock Nehls in the opener as the Cougars remained in 2nd place in the West at 18-8. It was the 4th time in 12 home West wins Barton rallied to win in the bottom of the 7th. The Cougars are now 27-17 overall. Seward fell to 14-12 in the West and 26-21 overall. The wins also moved Barton just 1 win away from locking up a home playoff game in the 1st round of Region VI play. Barton has 6 West games remaining – all this week.

Highlights
There were very few dramatics in the opener as Brock Nehls tossed the best game of the season for the Cougars on the mound. The 6-4 sophomore shut down Seward, allowing just 4 hits and walking just 2 while striking out 8. He faced just 4 batters over the minimum as the Cougars turned 3 double plays in the win. Nehls allowed just 2 hits the final 6 innings, completing the 1st complete game shutout of the season for Barton. Nehls has proved to be the ace of the Cougar starting staff this season, improving to 6-2 on the year with a 2.16 ERA. Nehls has allowed just 1 run his past 2 starts and no runs the past 12 innings of work.

While Nehls was mowing down Saints his teammates supported him enough runs to earn the win. Barton took a 1-0 lead in the 2nd after Tyler Metcalf walked and eventually scored on an Austin Holt single. The Cougars added 2 more in the 3rd thanks to a single by Wade Gubbels and back-to-back 2-out doubles by Metcalf and Anthony Dreiling. Dreiling's double scored both Gubbels and Metcalf for the 3-0 lead. Holt ended the game with 3 hits and Dreiling 2.

The Cougars looked to be in trouble in the 2nd game as Seward took a 3-0 lead in the 3rd after starter Logan Smith hit the leadoff batter and followed with back-to-back walks. Ryan Sheldon came in to relieve Smith and gave up a pair of hits that gave Seward the lead. Barton cut it 3-1 in the bottom of the inning when Gubbels singled in Brent Biggs.

That is where the game stayed until Cougar reliever Nate Hedrick gave up a pair of runs in the top of the 7th to give Seward a 5-1 lead and an apparent win for the Saints. But the Cardiac Cougars would have their 4th comeback win in their final at bat. Earlier this season the Cougars scored 2 in the bottom of the 7th to beat Colby 7-6, 1 in the bottom of the 7th to beat Butler 2-1, and 4 in the bottom of the 7th to beat Dodge 11-10. But none topped the comeback Barton had Monday.

Robbie Adams started the inning off with a bang as he doubled to left center and scored when the next batter Gubbels singled him in. That is when the Saints gave the Cougars a bit of help. David Wilson hit an easy roller to the Saints pitcher Michael Jarman, who turned and tossed the ball over the head of his 1st baseman. By the time the Saints collected the ball, Gubbels had scored all the way from 1st and Wilson was standing on 3rd. That made it 5-3 with still no one out. Metcalf followed with a fly ball to left-center where the Saints center fielder and left fielder collided and the ball bounded all the way to the wall. Wilson scored on the play to make it 5-4 and Metcalf advanced to 2nd.

After Eric Whinery grounded out for the initial out of the inning Matt Coatman drew a walk to put the winning run on 1st base. Tim Ruble, who drove in the winning runs in Barton's 7th inning wins over Colby and Butler, doubled into left-center to score Metcalf and tie the game at 5-all. An intentional walk to Holt loaded the bases for Biggs with 1 out. Biggs was hit by the 2nd pitch from Saint reliever Curtis Hamilton for what appeared to the game-winner for the Cougars. But the home-plate umpired ruled Biggs leaned into the pitch. Coach Mike Warren's argument didn't get the call changed but 2 pitches later Biggs drew the bases loaded walk to score Metcalf and cap the improbable win for the Cougars.

The win moves Barton to 12-2 at home in West action this season and 19-4 overall at Lawson Field. The Cougars are just 1 win away from securing a home playoff spot April 29 and 30. They will try and clinch that spot Wednesday when Barton travels to Pratt for a twinbill. That will be followed by a pair at 3rd place Colby Thursday before concluding the West slate Saturday when Garden City visits Lawson Field for a 1 pm start time.

Stats
Complete stats can be found at www.bartonccc.edu

Next
Wed., April 19 – at Pratt, 3 pm (West doubleheader at Stanion Field in Pratt)
Thurs., April 20 – at Colby, 1 pm (West doubleheader at Colby)