Story by Alex Hammeke
The Barton Community College softball team played to a doubleheader split Saturday afternoon against arch rival Hutchinson Community College. In the opener, a late Blue Dragon homerun gave Hutchinson the final say in a 9-8 decision. The Cougars would get revenge reversing the roles in the nightcap on Kaylee Milligan's eighth inning three-run dinger as Barton salvaged the doubleheader in an 8-7 thriller.
The Cougars will have a quick turnaround heading out on the road for a 2:00 p.m. doubleheader at Legends Park against the Conquistadors of Dodge City Community College.
Game 1 Recap
Hutchinson and Barton would trade punch for punch in the third inning with the Blue Dragons starting the scoring on Alexis Way's two run homer. The Blue Dragon lead would be short livid as Brooke McCollough put Barton on top launching her X homerun of the season driving home a one-out Lexi Dryden walk and Kennedee Lara two-out single putting the Cougars in front 3-2.
A bumpy fourth inning handed Hutchinson the lead back as the Blue Dragons took advantage of four Barton walks and Madison Grimes grand slam capping a six-run frame.
The Cougars clawed back to within 8-5 taking advantage of a trio of Hutchinson errors in the bottom of the fourth
Starting hurler Ashlee Lucero settled in working a pair of scoreless frames in the top of the fifth and sixth allowing just one baserunner via walk. Lucero got some offensive help in the home half of the sixth as McCollough knotted it up at 8-8 launching her second three-run shot of the game driving home L. Dryden and Lara.
Carley Stemeker jetted the Blue Dragons back in front with the eventual game-winning solo-shot to right putting Hutchinson in front for good. Looking for one final rally in the seventh, the Cougars stranded L. Dryden's two-out single her second knock of the contest.
Game 2 Recap
Hutchinson carried the offense over in the nightcap as Madison Grimes drove in a pair and Natalie Bevan knocked in one with back-to-back singles giving the Blue Dragons a 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning.
Teegan Krol put Barton on the board in the bottom of the inning trimming the deficit to 3-1 with an RBI double scoring Lara's one-out double.
Blue Dragon's Easton Head extended the margin to three at 4-1 on a sacrifice fly ensuing a single and double to open the top of the third.
L. Dryden and Lara got things rolling for the Cougars in the bottom of the third recording a leadoff walk and one-out single. One batter later Krol launched her team leading sixth homerun of the season knotting things up at 4-4.
Both teams would trade runs in the fourth, and Hutch would take a two run lead in the fifth, but the Cougars would take the final lead in the bottom of the sixth. Adreanna Lance would get a leadoff single followed by a Madison Faylor walk. Milligan would slam the Cougars' fourth home run of the day, sending the eventual game wining round tripper to right field to give Barton the eventual 8-7 final.