GREAT BEND, Kan. – It was the battle of Cougars on Saturday between the Western Nebraska Community College and Barton Community College baseball teams, and the Kansas Cougars took a doubleheader against the Nebraska Cougars.

                The first game saw Barton score nine, first-inning runs in rolling to the 11-1, 5-inning win. The second game was a touch closer with Barton scoring in five of the eight innings to earn the 12-2, 8-inning win.

                WNCC and Barton will be back at it for another doubleheader on Sunday. WNCC will then return home to host Miles Community College on Saturday and Sunday, weather depending.

                The second game was a much better performance for WNCC. The two teams combined for 23 hits. Barton won the hit battle 15-8.

                Barton scored first with four in the first. WNCC got on the scoreboard with a single run in the third when Drew Book singled in Jordan Rollins to cut the Barton lead to 4-1.

                Barton answered with a run in the fourth only to watch the Cougars answer that run in the top of the fifth when Book slammed a 2-out solo home run.

                Barton added a single run in the bottom of the fifth and then put the game away with three in the seventh and three in the eighth to end the game on a walk-off single by Alex Rodgers to earn the win 12-2.

                WNCC had four players finish with two hits each. Book led the way with a home run, two RBIs, and a run scored. Quinn McCafferty, Dylan Howard, and Ethan Johnson each had two hits in the game.

                Corbin Kirk took the loss, going two innings in allowing four hits and four runs while striking out one. Owen Vanthillo and Thibault Mercadier each saw action on the mound. Vanthillo went three innings in scattering four hits and allowing two runs while striking out five. Mercadier went 2 2/3 innings in allowing six runs on seven hits and striking out two.

                The first game, while the score ended up 11-1 in just five innings, was actually a closer game then the scoreboard showed. Barton plated 9 runs in the first inning to take control. After the first, though, it was a battle between the two Cougar teams. Barton outscored WNCC after the opening frame 2-1. WNCC scored it's only run in the second when Joe Kinneberg walked and scored as Eli Hernandez stole second, which Kinneberg ran home on the catcher's indifference.

                Barton scored a single run in the bottom of the second and then ended the game on the 10-run rule as the first batter in the fifth inning hit a walk-off home run.

                WNCC had four hits in the contest. McCafferty had the only extra base hit with a double. Getting singles in the contest were Kinneberg, Hernandez, and Sergio Tarango.

                Dawson Hurford suffered the loss, going three innings in scattering six hits and giving up 10 runs. Hurford struck out three and walked four. Wyatt Zsidisin tossed one inning in allowing a hit and run.

Game 1

WNCC                   010 00 – 1 4 3

Barton                  910 01 – 11 7 0

LP – Dawson Hurford.

2B – Quinn McCafferty. 

Game 2

WNCC                   001 010 00 – 2 8 1

Barton                  400 110 33 – 12 15 1

LP – Corbin Kirk.

HR – Drew Book.