The Barton Community College softball team grabbed game two of Wednesday's trip to Colby Community College in salvaging the split.
The Trojans took an early second inning lead before widening the gap to what would be the final margin victory in the eventual 8-4 win. Colby again jumped out to the early advantage of the second game but the Barton offense came to life with a five run fourth in plating fourteen runs in the final four frames for a 15-8 victory.
Barton holds off Colby for third place of the conference standings at 15-11 and 21-17 overall while the Trojans remain in fourth at 13-11 and 26-16.
The Cougars have the next week away from competition before hosting No. 8 Butler Community College on Wednesday, April 20th, in a 2:00 p.m. first pitch doubleheader.
Game One Recap
A pair of second inning walks would be the Trojans first two plate crossers of the afternoon as a two-out double gave Colby the early 2-0 lead.
The Trojans returned the favor in the third frame, walking both Halie Stoneking and Sydni Williams with two outs, giving Jaysa Anderson an RBI opportunity with a lined single.
A leadoff fourth inning home run followed by a single and error set up a deciding three run inning with a two-out double plating what would be the winning two runs.
Kennedee Lara's two out double in the ensuing fifth got one of the runs back but the Trojans answered back with a pair of singles and reach on error setting up a one-out RBI single.
Barton scored solo runs in the sixth and seventh, an error allowing the first run and Lara providing the final run in the seventh by driving her second home run of the season over the fence capping her 2-of-4 team leading performance.
Colby matched Barton's final two frames with two runs in the home half of the sixth as a leadoff double and single plated later in the frame on a groundout and two-out single.
Kayla Beers took the loss in three inning in the circle dropping to 7-9 on the year with Williams hurling the final three innings on relief.
Colby outhit the Cougars 12-7 in the contest, Abby Sims allowing just five hits in her four innings improving to 11-6.
Game Two Recap
Getting an Ireland Cotton two-out RBI single in the second inning, Barton's lone lead to that point was short lived as the Trojans tied it up leading off the home half with a home run.
The Trojans added three more in the third, plating a leadoff error and single on a two-out home run for a 4-1 lead.
Teegan Krol and Adreanna Lance pumped new life into the Cougars in the visitor's ensuing fourth frame, launching back-to-back no-doubters over the left center fence. Cotton continued the surge with one of her team leading four hits, Lexi Dryden followed with a single, and Kayden Smith loaded the bases reaching safely on an error. Stoneking pushed across a run drawing a walk with Williams following with a 2-RBI single for Barton's fifth run of the frame in grabbing a 6-4 lead.
The Cougars continued the unleashing in their remaining three at-bat frames, scoring three runs in each of the innings.
Three runs plated with two-outs in the fifth, Stoneking driving in two on a double with Williams again delivering one batter later driving home Stoneking.
In addition to Cotton's leading four hits, Adreanna Lance became one of three Cougars with three hits in driving an RBI single to left as Dryden's double and Smith's single plated each an RBI in the sixth.
Colby cut their deficit to four in the home half, four straight hits pushing across the first of four runs as a one-out double and single drove in three more to chase Jessica Morgan from the game. Enter Julia Carey in relief and one pitch later the Cougars were out of the inning getting a 6-4-3 (Cotton-Lara-Williams) double play.
Barton thwarted the momentum with a three-run answer in their last at-bat. Jaysa Anderson collected her third hit leading off the seventh, Lara picking up her second in the next lineup spot, with Krol's third hit coming on her second dinger of the game in driving a 1-2 pitch deep in taking over the KJCCC's lead with 12 home runs thus far in the season.
Carey did her part in the circle, striking out two in stranding a one-out single in Colby's last hope helping Morgan claim the victory. The Region VI strikeout leader fanned nine in 5.1 innings, improving to 11-6 on the year getting 1.2 innings of assistance from Carey.
Held to the seven hits in the opener, the offense tripled the production with twenty-two connections as Colby couldn't keep up the pace on its fourth total hits.