Having grinded out a two run victory hours earlier, the Barton Community College softball team returned to the East Park diamond to face No. 6 ranked Butler Community College to earn the driver's seat into Thursday's Region VI Championship game. Grabbing a three run fourth inning lead, the No. 9 Lady Cougars saw their lead evaporate with two Grizzly runs in the fourth and fifth inning before a controversial call at the plate erased a game tying run as Butler escaped with the 4-3 victory. The loss drops Barton into the 12:00 p.m. loser's bracket awaiting the winner of the Colby and Dodge City matchup while Butler will play the winner for the Region VI Championship at 2:00 p.m.
Locked in a pitching duel between Barton's Madison Didion and Regan Mergele of Butler, each team wasn't able to mount much of a threat through the first three innings.
Reigning conference player of the week Brittany Wood would change all of that greeting her first pitch of the fourth inning with a right field blast. Jenna Hosey followed keeping the two-out inning alive fighting off three two-strike pitches before singling in the left side hole of the defense scoring on Payton Summers' ensuing double to right field. Pinch runner Kelsie Doll would score on the next play as the Grizzlies committed a throwing error trying to get a hustling Holly Posegate out at first base.
Morgan Bohanan would strike for her second double in as many at-bats with one out in the home half before clean-up hitter Becca Schulte belted her team leading thirteenth home run of the season drawing Butler to within one.
After a three-up three-down Barton fifth inning, the Lady Cougars got generous in the home half committing two errors resulting in two Butler runs. The first of which came on an infield miscommunication allowing No. 9 hitter Mikayla Waggnor to be standing on second with one-out and the top of the lineup approaching. Alexis Clinton then drove a full-count pitch to left advancing to second on an outfield fielding error to tie the game with Schulte's ensuing single driving home Clinton for a Butler 4-3 advantage.
Jayden Gonzales led off the following inning greeting relief pitch Brynn Minor with a scorching shot down the left field line for a double ending up on third base as the put-out throw skipped past the second baseman Waggnor. With Kaylie Doll pinch running at third, Minor struck out Wood before inducing a fielder's choice to the right side of the diamond. Doll's late break to the plate was still in time to beat the high throw from Waggnor but the home plate umpire called Doll out in the controversial play eliminating the potential tying run. The Lady Cougars stranded Hosey at first with another strikeout before being sent down in order in the final seventh inning.
Didion took the loss dropping to 26-4 on the season scattering seven hits and striking out four with two unearned runs.
Mergele earned the win for the Grizzlies sending Barton down on strikes nine times and surrendering just four hits.
Complete tournament information can be found at www.kjccc.org.