The Barton Cougars tried to prevent No. 20 ranked Hutchinson from clinching the 2024 Jayhawk Conference baseball title. The Cougars managed a split with a 10-9 victory on Owen Bailey's sacrifice fly. The Blue Dragons dominated Wednesday's opener 7-2.
Hutchinson (40-11, 25-5 Jayhawk) clinched its 13th Jayhawk title in school history to keep the Cougars (33-17, 15-11 Jayhawk) in fourth place. The Cougars visit Hutchinson Friday.
HUTCHINSON 7, COUGARS 2 (G1) — Hutchinson ace pitcher Ethan Giesbrecht (9-2) yielded one hit in five scoreless innings with four strikeouts. Barton starter Hemmerling (6-4) yielded six earned runs in three innings.
Hutchinson's Luis Pimental-Guerrero ripped a 3-run homer that scored Kael Babin and Hank Griffin in a 6-run third inning. Cooper Wesslund's double scored Blake Bradford, Colin Cymbalista and Cody Gunderson for a 6-0 lead.
Barton's Robby Bolin scored on a bases loaded walk and Grant Nottlemann singled home Owen Clyde for a 6-2 score. Babin scored on Gunderson's single for a 7-2 final. The Cougars stranded five runners in the final two innings.
COUGARS 10, HUTCHINSON 9 (G2) — The Cougars outscored the Dragons 9-0 after trailing 9-1 for a walk-off victory on Bailey's sacrifice fly that scored Bolin. Bailey's 3-run homer tied the score 9-9 in a 6-run eighth inning.
Clyne and Bolin scored on a seventh-inning error. Wyatt Yetter's single ignited a 6-run eighth-inning rally with two out. Cole Schieffer scored on a double steal. Bolin scored on Clyne's double before Jarron Cotton drew a walk. Bailey drilled a 3-2 curveball for a 3-run blast to left center for a 9-9 tie.
Jackson MacWilliams (2-1) earned the victory with 12/3 innings. He recorded his second double play groundball in the 10th inning.
Clyne singled wrapped around walks to Bolin and Cotton to load the bases. Bailey's sacrifice fly scored Bolin.
Clyne finishing 4-for-6 with a double and RBI.
Hutchinson 006 000 1 — 7 7 0
Barton 000 002 0 — 2 5 0
Giesbrecht, Wanless (6) and Gunderson. Hemmerling, Golden (4), Kunz (7) and Nottlemann. W—Giesbrecht, 9-2. L—Hemmerling, 6-4. 2B—H—Cymbalista 2, Wesslund. HR—H—Pimentel-Guerrero.
Hutchinson 040 022 100 0 — 9 12 2
Barton 001 000 260 1 — 10 10 1
Toureau, McKay (5), Perkins (6), Snyder (9) and Cymbalista. Sowers, Treto (5), Bedell (7), Wahlstrom (8), MacWilliams and Bailey. W—MacWilliams, 2-1. L—Snyder, 0-1. 2B—H—Griffin, Wesslund; BC—Clyne, Cotton. HR—BC—Bailey; H—Cymbalista.
JAYHAWK BASEBALL
Hutchinson 25-5 40-11
Cloud 18-8 34-16
Butler 16-8 27-20
Barton 15-11 33-17
Dodge City 14-10 30-18
Seward 13-11 25-22
Colby 7-17 10-36
Pratt 6-22 19-30
Garden City 2-24 6-39
4-24—Hutchinson 7-9, Barton 2-10; Cloud 10-13, Garden City 0-3
4-25—Seward at Dodge City
4-26—Barton at Hutchinson; Cloud at Garden City
4-27—Dodge City at Seward
