SALINA – Lefty Jake Bartley struck out 10 Salina South Cougars and the Abilene Cowboys rallied and held on for a season opening win 5-4 Thursday evening at Dean Evans Field.

Bartley allowed four hits and three runs over five and two-thirds innings while walking three.

Abilene took an early lead in the game with an unearned run in the top of the first. South came back to score single runs in the second and third innings to lead 2 to 1 and that held until the top of the sixth inning. In the Cowboy sixth, Lane Hoekman drove in the tying run with a double and Landyn Rogers singled to score Hoekman with the go ahead run for a brief 3-2 lead.

Bartley’s pitch count reached 105 pitches in the bottom of the sixth and with runners on base, he was relieved by senior right hander Levi Evans. Evans got out of the inning allowing the tying run to score, with the game tied at 3 and headed to the seventh.

With one out in the seventh, Bartley singled to right followed by Ethan Evans’s ringing double to right field, putting runners and second and third with one out. Hoekman walked to load the bases before Cowboy senior first baseman Canyn Taylor drove a single to right scoring Bartley for a one-run lead for the Cowboys. Ethan Evans then scored on a wild pitch and Abilene was up by two.

Levi Evans pitching the bottom of the seventh walks leadoff batter Kolton Herbal. Yaden Montanez flew out and Wyatt Breedon reached on an error, moving Herbal to third. Jaxon Anthony grounded into a fielders choice that looked like a double play to end the game, but the umpire called the runner at first safe, allowing Herbal to score. Caden Stauffer launched a three ball – two strike pitch to high right field where Bartley camped under it for the final out.

Levi Evans earned the win in relief, allowing an unearned run without a hit over one and one-third innings of work. Levi Evans, Ethan Evans and Taylor each had two hits in the opener. Bartley, Hoekman, Taylor and Rogers had RBI in the victory. Stauffer took the loss for the Cougars.

Salina South scored two error-aided runs in the first and three more in the third to take a 5-0 lead over the Cowboys in game two. Abilene was able to push a run across in the fourth for the final 5 to 1 in favor of the Cougars.

Levi Evans started game two and took the loss allowing two unearned runs on one hit. He walked four batters. Rogers tossed the final four frames allowing three runs, one earned, on four hits. He walked one.

The Cowboys managed just two hits off Salina South pitcher Landon Huffman, who pitched the complete game, walking two and striking out seven. Ethan Evans had the lone RBI with a fourth inning double scoring Kaden Thrower. Bartley had the other Cowboy hit.

Abilene is now 1-1 on the young season and will host Concordia Thursday, April 2.

Game 1, Abilene 5, Salina South 4

Abilene        1  0  0  0  0  2  2 – 5-9-3

South        0  1  1  0  0  1  1 – 4-4-1

RBI: Bartley 1, Hoekman 1, Taylor 1, Rogers 1; Anthony 2, Sitton 1.

SB: Thrower, Rogers; Montanez.

Game 2, Salina South 5, Abilene 1

Abilene        0  0  0  1  0  0  0 – 1-2-2

South        2  0  3  0  0  0  X – 5-5-0

RBI: E. Evans; Anthony 1, Telles 1.

SB: Thrower; Herbal, Huffman 2, Redmond.