Cougars split West softball games with Seward County
The Barton County Community College softball team hooked up in a couple of close contests with the Seward County Saints Thursday afternoon at Cougars Fields earning a split in the doubleheader. Barton won the opener thanks to a 2-run homer by Ruby Garza by a 4-2 score then lost the nightcap of the twinbill, 2-1 in 8 innings. Barton is now 3-1 in the West and 5-14 overall. Seward County is now 3-3 in West play and 10-14 overall.

Highlights
Garza provided the highlight in the opener, belting a 2-run homer in the bottom of the 6th with the scored tied 1-all. Kalesha Bownes had given the Cougars a 1-0 lead in the 1st inning, driving in Ashlee Earley on a fly out. Seward, however, evened the mark in the top of 2nd with a run and that is where the game stayed until the 6th.

In the bottom of the 6th Bownes picked up a 1-out walk and Karah Yeakley came in to pinch run for her as the Cougars looked to take the lead. Garza followed with a blast to dead centerfield – her 2nd homer of the season. That gave the Cougars a 3-1 lead which increased to 4-1 before the inning was over. Martysha Mosley followed with a double and scored on an RBI single by Maggie McCoy. Seward did add a single run in the 7th but Garza's heroics carried the Cougars to the win. Barton got a good outing from Karina Ramirez on the mound, pitching the complete game and allowing just 5 hits and 1 earned run to improve to 3-2 on the season.

The 2nd game followed much the same routine with both teams scoring a single run early. This time Seward scored in the top of the 1st and Barton evened the game at 1-all in the bottom of the 3rd when Garza doubled in Bownes. That is where the game stayed into extra innings where Seward County scored a single run in the 8th to earn the win.

Stats
Stats can be found on the Barton website at www.bartonccc.edu/sports

Next
March 27-28– in Johnson County Tournament (at Overland Park)