The Barton Community College softball team concluded its Texas two-step on Thursday knocking off a previously unbeaten national top ten team to finish 2-2 on the trip.
The Cougars began their four-day eight-game stretch on Wednesday in Cisco, Texas, taking the first game in six innings 13-3 over Cisco College before the host Wranglers held on for an 8-7 victory to split the series.
On Friday, the Cougars moved north two hours to Vernon, Texas, taking on Vernon College. The 9th ranked Chaparrals put up five runs in the first two innings holding on for a 5-3 victory before Barton rallied from a four-run sixth inning deficit to knock off the unbeaten 9-6.
Now 2-4 on the season, Barton crosses over the border to Altus, Oklahoma, for the next two days, splitting doubleheaders with Odessa College and Western Oklahoma State College each day.
Cisco College Recap
Barton started slow against Cisco, trailing 3-0 into the fifth before putting thirteen runs on the board over the course of the next two frames.
Eight hits and drawing to walks led to seven runs in the fifth to take the lead then another seven hits pounded the Wranglers as another six spot hit the scoreboard.
Reigning conference pitcher of the week Ashlee Lucero earned the win to even her mark at 1-1 in striking out two and scattering five hits over the run-rule six innings. Caitlyn Rangel took the loss working the initial 4.1 innings.
Going down in order the first two innings of game two, Barton put three on the board in the third on four hits.
Cisco began its climb back in the home half of the fourth, taking advantage of a leadoff infield error with consecutive singles before pushing a run across on a groundout and another Barton miscue allowing the second to cross with two outs.
The Cougars countered in the top of fifth with a two run answer, drawing a one-out walk and double with Madison Faylor driving the pair home on a two-out single.
The Wranglers took the lead for good in the home half, beginning with an error leading off the frame scoring on a one-out double. Kayla Beers induced a groundout for the second out but a pair of singles and walks would push across the tying runs, as a double would clear the bases putting the home squad up three.
Following a down in order sixth inning, Barton loaded the bases with no out on a pair of hits on either side of a walk but the Wranglers rolled up a pivotal double play. Faylor resumed the comeback attempt with an RBI single but the Cougars were only able to add one more run coming on a passed ball in stranding a run.
Beers took the loss despite not allowing an earned run and giving up ten hits in 4.2 innings of work. Summer Hasfurter earned the win allowing ten hits and striking out five Cougars in six innings.
Vernon Recap
Barton spotted the 9th ranked Chaparrals five runs through the first two frames getting two in the opener from two hits and a triple then tacked on three more in the second on four hits and a two-out double.
The Cougars got three of those back in the top of the third as leading single and walk from Jaycee Patton and Emma Morris would later score from Halie Stoneking's two-out single and Faylor's double.
Neither team could push runs across the rest of the game as the combined four pitchers escaped a pair of scoring opportunities.
Lucero took the loss for Barton surrendering a season high five earned runs with just two strikeouts while Laynie Brown earned the victory through four innings with four hits and three runs.
Stranding the bases loaded in game two's first inning, Barton broke through in the third with two outs. Following two strikeouts from Vernon's Laynie Bastow, Teegan Krol's double extended the inning with McCollough driving in the go ahead run with a 3-2 pitch single.
The lead was short lived as the Chaparrals put a solo home run on the board in the home half then utilized the long ball again the next inning in driving across a pair of leadoff walks for a 5-1 lead.
Another walk in the bottom of the fifth led to the lead increasing to four but it would be the last for the home squad.
The Cougars erupted for seven runs in the sixth, with McCollough's leadoff single scoring the initial run after 1-out singles by Stoneking and Morris. Six more runs would cross with two outs in the inning with Kennedee Lara extending the frame with a hit followed by a Patton walk and Faylor reaching on a dropped third strike closing the Cougars to within one in loading the bases. Krol's triple cleared the bags and Mackenzie Fagan topped the big inning with a RBI single.
A pair of walks set up Vernon for a sac fly opportunity in the home half but the Cougars got the run back in the top of the 7th on Patton's RBI single scoring Morris' one-out walk.
Reentering the circle in sixth to escape any further damage, Beers stranded a two-out double to earn her first victory of the year. Bastow took the loss despite striking out eleven as the Cougars pounded out thirteen hits and drew four walks.