The three phases of the game were in sync Wednesday afternoon at Cougar Field as Barton Community College softball team won 5-3 and 10-1 in six innings to defeat Independence Community College.
Playing solid defense throughout, the Cougar offense produced the big hits they needed in pounding out eighteen hits on the day while the three-headed pitching staff of Tia Kohl, Karsyn Smith, and Emma Horsch combined for nineteen strikeouts in limiting Independence to just nine hits.
Rebounding from its first loss of the year on the home turf on Sunday, Barton keeps pace in the Jayhawk East at 12-2 and 18-9 on the season as the resurgent Pirates drop to 4-6 in league play and 8-11 overall.
A six game road stretch lies ahead for Barton with the Cougars traveling to Garden City on Friday for a 1:00 p.m. double-dip with a 2:00 p.m. twin bill following on Saturday at 2:00 p.m. at Seward County. Barton will then have a Wednesday date at Hutchinson before returning on Saturday, April 13, for its next to last home date left on the slate.
Game One Recap
Kohl started off a little slow in the circle but worked out a first inning bases loaded jam to keep the slate clean. Striking out the side in the second, a leadoff walk followed by an RBI double and a wild pitch later in the inning put the Pirates up 2-1.
Jaelyn Carter manufactured Barton's first run, leading off the game with her fifth double of the year before swiping third base in an eventual crossing the dish on a wild pitch.
The Cougars grabbed the lead for good in the home half of the fourth with Betsy Parmley getting things started with her ninth double of the year. An out later and the Cougars had the lead for good in getting back-to-back jacks for a 4-2 lead. Maggie Schuetz provided the go-ahead with a two run homerun for the sophomore's second of the year with Jayden Solberg following with her fifth of the season giving Barton the two–run cushion.
Parmley helped set up another insurance run in the subsequent fifth in extending the inning with a walk before moving into scoring position on her seventh stolen base of the year, scoring on Brooke McCollough's hit up the middle.
Independence's final run came in the sixth with a one-out solo shot by Cameron Ortiz as Kohl completed her six innings on the hill striking out the final two for her 7th and 8th of the game. Smith took over in the seventh helping Kohl improve to 8-3 on the year by sending down the Pirates in order including fanning two of the three.
Game Two Recap
A pair of leadoff singles helped lead the Pirates to a bases loaded situation with Madison Hartley driving in Independence's lone game two run with an infield single.
Horsch sailed through most of the game, getting out of bases loaded jam to end the second on a strikeout before inducing a pop up and strikeout to end the second. Striking out the side in the final sixth inning, Horsch improved to 5-3 on the year with nine strikeouts, just one shy of a career best.
All Cougars in the lineup collected a hit in the game, led at the top of the lineup with Carter's two hits and four runs driven in with No. 8 hole hitter Jade Phillips also collecting a pair.
Carter drove in Phillips and Demi Kunkel in the second to answer Independence's run then later in the fourth capped Barton's two-run fifth driving in Alexis Sharples' double that drove home Phillips' second hit of the game.
Kunkel lifted a deep center field fly in the third for the Cougars' lone run of the frame with Parmley following the ensuing inning by blasting her eight home run of the season on a two-run shot to left. Hailey Pop's key at-bat in front of Parmley in the lineup set up the opportunity by lacing a two-out single to extend the inning.
With the Cougars leading 7-1 to the home half of the sixth, one-out walks by McCollough and Solberg put the run-rule in play with Kunkel completing the mission sending a deep shot to left for the three-run walk-off homerun, the fourth long ball of the freshman's season.
