Playing six games in three days, the Barton Community College baseball team needed and received solid pitching to earn a series split with Seward County Community College this past weekend at Lawson-Biggs Field.

A day after sweeping Pratt Community College, the Cougars were faced with cooling off a hot Saints team. Barton lost the first two games on Friday, 12-10 and 15-7, but solid pitching by two freshmen earned the Cougars’ a split, getting 5-4 and 10-0 decisions on Saturday.

Craig Nicks starved off Seward in game one pitching a complete game eleven strikeout performance while Andrew Ferguson pitched a complete game four-hit shutout to clinch the series split. Leadoff batter Alex King set the table for the Cougars offense as the sophomore from Topeka batted .533 for the series with two doubles and a triple.

Barton moved into second place in the Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference standings at 4-2 and 7-7 overall, while Seward sits atop the standings at 5-3 and 11-12 overall. The Cougars head to Pratt Community College on Tuesday for seven-inning conference game then return again Wednesday for a nine-inning game. The first pitch for both games is slated for 4 p.m. at Pratt’s Jud Stanion Field.