Making the most of opportunities provided the difference maker Friday as the Barton Community College softball team was sent to the battle-back side of the Region VI Tournament bracket in a 5-2 loss to top seeded Colby Community College.

Dropping to 17-26 on the season, 8th seeded Barton will face Seward County at 9:00 a.m. Saturday at Dodge City's Legends Park in the first elimination game of the tournament.

The 5th seeded Saints led 4th seeded Hutchinson 2-1 into the bottom of the 7th inning but the Blue Dragons scored a pair of runs including the walk-off to win 3-2.

The Saints come into Saturday's contest 17-16 on the season as the teams split March 20 doubleheader in Liberal with Barton winning the first 15-1 and Seward County taking the back end of the twin bill 6-5.

Kennedee Lara pair of singles and Adreanna Lance's pair of doubles led the Cougars' seven hits as Colby had seven eight hits led by Jennifer Williams' single and double.

Ashlee Lucero took the loss in 3.1 innings of work, allowing just three hits in striking out six and walking three. Kayla Beers pitched the final 2.2 innings, striking out three with no walks in giving up five hits.

Allison Westbrook earned the victory in striking out three and walking three

RECAP
The Cougars stranded one in each of the first two innings, getting a Lance leadoff two-bagger and Madison Faylor walk but came up empty on the scoreboard.

Missed opportunities were the story for Barton in producing just one hit with runners in scoring position while Colby made the most of their two hits in the same situation driving in four runs.

Megan Kennedy's double to deep left field plated in the game's first runs in the home half of the third driving in a leadoff walk and single for a Colby 2-0 lead.

For the second time in four innings, Barton got their first two batters aboard behind back-to-back doubles by Teegan Krol and Lance to cut the deficit in half. Kaylee Milligan drew a two-out walk but the pair became two of the Cougars' seven left on board in the game.

Sophie Supernor provided the Trojans' answer in the home half driving a 3-2 one-out pitch out of the park for her 7th home run of the year.

The Trojans added two more in the fifth on two hits before Allison Westbrook delivered a 2 RBI double pushing the lead out to 5-1.

Barton chipped into the deficit in the following sixth inning with Faylor's one out walk traveling the bases after Emma Morris' single and hustling home on Kaylee Milligan's fielder's choice.

A Cougar rally in the seventh came up empty as Makayla Chavez' leadoff single would later be wiped out a game ending double play.