Thunderbirds drop pair to Cougars

GREAT BEND — The Cloud County Community College baseball team had an opportunity to move into first place in the Jayhawk Conference West Division, but a pair of losses to Barton Community College on Thursday dropped the Thunderbirds into third place.
Division-leading Barton downed Cloud County 6-0 and 11-6 in a doubleheader at Lawson-Biggs Field.
The T-Birds, 37-14 overall, fall to 20-10 in conference play.
Barton, 35-15 overall, improves to 20-6 in the Jayhawk West.
Colby is currently in second place in the conference at 18-8.
Cloud County will wrap up its conference season by hosting Barton on Saturday.
Barton's Z. Thornton shut the T-Birds out on four hits in the first game of the doubleheader. He struck out 10 and walked three.
The Cougars got an unearned run in the first inning, and would not trail in the game.
A run in the second inning gave Barton a 2-0 advantage.
The Cougars got a two-run home run by H. Hayman in a three-run third inning, and led 5-0.
Barton added one run in the fifth inning.
Conner Woods pitched the first five innings for Cloud County in suffering the loss. He gave up six runs, five earned, on seven hits, struck out three and walked one.
Brady Kobitowich worked one scoreless inning.
Danny Infante had two of the T-Birds' four hits.
A two-run home run by Ian Riley gave Cloud County a 2-0 lead in the top of the third inning in game two.
Barton tied the game with two runs in the bottom of the third.
The T-Birds reclaimed the lead at 3-2 with a run in the fourth inning.
Two runs in the fifth inning put Barton on top, 4-3.
Brock Wollin hit a solo home run in the top of the sixth inning to pull Cloud County even at 4-4.
The Cougars responded with five runs in the bottom of the inning to go up 9-4.
Cloud County closed the gap to 9-6 with two runs in the top of the seventh inning.
Riley singled home Ryan Gouldin and Alexander Diaz scored on a base hit by Wollin.
Barton tacked on a pair of insurance runs in the bottom of the seventh.
Christian Womble pitched the first five innings for the T-Birds and allowed four runs on six hits. He struck out three and walked three.
Giordano Mezzomo surrendered five unearned runs on five hits in one inning in taking the loss.
Cole Askew, Haden Dow and Jacob Shaw also pitched in relief.
Riley had two hits and drove in three runs for the T-Birds.
Wollin had two hits and knocked in two runs.