By Todd Moore

Getting a combined twenty-two strikeouts from the pitching staff, the Barton Community College baseball team split its doubleheader Friday in Scottsbluff, Nebraska, to Western Nebraska Community College.

The Cougars held a one run seventh inning lead in game one but a leadoff double proved costly as the host tied it up in their season opener forcing extra innings to eventually win 2-1 in the bottom of the ninth. Barton bounced back in the nightcap getting an eleven strikeout performance by sophomore Jordan Plank to split the doubleheader with the 3-1 victory and improve to 3-2 on the season.

The teams will wrap up the four-game series on Saturday with a 1:00 p.m. doubleheader.