NIACC baseball team sweeps Barton CC
By The Globe Gazette staff
GREAT BEND, Kan. — The No. 13 (NJCAA Division II) NIACC baseball team picked up a doubleheader sweep of Barton Community College, taking the opener 12-6 and the nightcap 8-5 in eight innings on Thursday.
"It came down to execution," NIACC coach Travis Hergert said. "There are some things we still need to clean up and if we do that this team can be a good ball club."
NIACC collected 24 hits at the plate, including five apiece from Blake Whitecotton and Austin LaDoux while Malique Ziegler had three hits and drove in two.
"Austin LaDoux and Malique Ziegler both had big days for us," Hergert said.
LaDoux had a 2-run home run in the top of the first inning in the opener and added an RBI single in the second as NIACC built a 9-0 lead.
Meanwhile, Ziegler doubled twice as six NIACC players recorded two hits in the opener.
In the nightcap, LaDoux added three hits and two RBIs while Whitecotton had three singles.
On the mound, Dan Loats improved to 4-0, pitching six solid innings with seven strikeouts in the opener while Derek Lieurance and Danny Beizer tossed four scoreless innings of relief in the nightcap for NIACC (13-5).
"Dan Loats was great on the mound," Hergert said. "Derek and Danny Beizer came in and did a great job in relief for us in the second game."
NIACC opens ICCAC play at Southeastern next Friday.
NIACC 12, BARTON CC 6
NIACC 361 011 0 – 12 14 2
Barton 020 001 3 – 6 8 5
Dan Loats (7K, 2BB, 2HBP), Kellen Reed (7) (1K, 1BB) and Blake Whitecotton. Dexter Coughtrey (1K, 2BB), Daniel Kohl (2) (3K, 0BB, 2HBP), Brant Millerborg (6) (4K, 0BB) and Mason Hightower. W – Loats (4-0). L – Coughtrey (1-1). HR – Austin LaDoux (N), Jonathan Cruz (N). 3B – Ryan McClure (B). 2B – Malique Ziegler (N) 2, LaDoux, Corrigan Bartlett (B), Hightower. Multiple hits – Ziegler 2, Connor Enochs (N) 2, LaDoux 2, Spencer Halloran (N) 2, Whitecotton 2, Cruz 2, Bartlett 2, Cole Henley (B) 2. Multiple RBIs – LaDoux 2, Bartlett 2, Henley 2.
NIACC 8, BARTON CC 5 (8)
NIACC 400 100 03 – 8 10 2
Barton 410 000 00 – 5 7 5
Nick Eckberg (0K, 2BB), Mat Hudson (2) (1K, 1BB), Derek Lieurance (5) (5K, 2BB), Danny Beizer (7) (2K 0BB) and Whitecotton. Avery Riedmiller (3K, 1BB), Ben Wright (4) (1K, 1BB), Taylor Langston (5) (1K, 0BB), Mason Hiser (6) (2K 0BB) and Colton Zink. W – Beizer (1-2). L – Hiser (2-2). 3B – Henley, Bartlett. 2B – Halloran. Multiple hits – LaDoux 3, Whitecotton 3, Michael Sinks (B) 2, Bartlett 2. Multiple RBIs – LaDoux 2, Halloran 2, Bartlett 2.
