The Barton Community College softball team made short work of just its second home date of the early season in hanging a pair of five inning 9-1 and 11-1 victories over the junior varsity squad from Central Christian College.
The Cougars improve to 4-8 on the year heading into Saturday's 1:00 p.m. doubleheader at Cowley College.
A trio of Cougars collected three or more hits in the doubleheader, led by Madison Faylor's five in six at-bats. Kennedee Lara's four RBIs led seven Cougars with runs batted in.
In the circle Ashlee Lucero earned the game one victory, giving up just a lone second inning hit while striking out six the five innings while Kayla Beers pitched a two-hitter in the nightcap, striking out three in four innings of work with Elizabeth Horsch striking out one in the final frame of the twin bill.
Game One Recap
Central got on the scoreboard first, scoring their lone run of the game in the top of the second as Destiny Holt's leadoff double scored two outs later on a Barton infield error.
Barton responded in the home half with six runs as Brooke McCollough's leadoff single began the frame. Jaycee Patton drew a one-out walk, called out on a runner's interference as Kaylee Milligan's missile clipped her on the way to second. The Cougars weren't done despite the two outs with Kayli Dryden, who went 3-for-3 at the plate on the afternoon, drove in the Cougars' first two runs on triple. Lara put the third run on the board with the first of her two doubles on the day, scoring on Halie Stoneking's triple who then crossed the plate on Faylor's RBI double. Teegan Krol kept the train rolling with an RBI single with McCollough's second time to the plate in the frame left stranded on the bags after her double with Krol.
The Cougars rolled up a rare triple play in the ensuing top of the third to erase a lead off error. McCollough snared a line drive near the first base square, tapped the bag then fired over K. Dryden covering second base.
Sparking even more fire in the Cougars, Patton drew her second walk in as many at-bats then scampered over to third ahead of Milligan's double. Following K. Dryden's sacrifice fly, Lara drove in Milligan with a drive up the middle but was removed from the bases on Stoneking's fielder's choice. One batter later Faylor put the final dagger on the win with an RBI double.
Game Two Recap
Barton jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first frame with Lara's leadoff walk scoring on Krol's ground out and Fagan plating Stoneking and McCollough's walks with a double.
The Cougars added another in the second frame, in part to a little help from the sun, as K. Dryden's high drive to center was lost in the clear sky resulting in a stand-up triple, scoring a batter later on Lara's ground out.
Central went down in order for the second inning in a row as Beers began the third with a strikeout before snaring a hot liner up the box for the final out.
Seven runs crossed the dish in the home half of the third as the Cougars continued to mash the ball. Faylor led off with a double, scoring on Krol's near miss home run as the missile banged off the top third of the fence for an RBI single. McCollough followed with a single but two subsequent outs seemed to be the end of the inning until Milligan uncorked a deep line drive to right center on a 3-2 pitch for her first collegiate home run.
Barton then strung a trio of doubles together, K. Dryden scoring on Lara's two-bagger who then scored on Stoneking's double to left. Faylor rounded out the scoring delivering her second hit of the nightcap on a RBI single.