Going 1-1 in the first day of the Permian Basin Invitational in Odessa, Texas, an early first pitch and defensive woes did not fare well for the Barton Community College softball team on Saturday as the Cougars dropped both games completing the weekend trip down south.
Beginning the day with the 9:00 a.m. contest, Barton led after the first inning against North Central Texas College but the Lions pulled ahead in the third frame in going on to a an 11-3 complete game victory. Returning to the field twenty minutes later, the Cougars faced host 3rd ranked Odessa for the second time of the weekend, scoring four runs on Friday but getting shutout by the Wranglers on Saturday 8-0 in a game shortened five innings.
The Cougars next games will be Tuesday, opening up Cougar Field for the 2023 season by hosting Northern Oklahoma College-Enid in a 1:00 p.m. doubleheader.
RECAP vs North Central Texas College
Jenna Henderson's two-out RBI gave Barton the early and lone lead of the contest, lasting until the next inning as the first batter in NCTC's second frame tied it up on a solo home run.
The Lions tacked on two more in the third and four more in the fourth frame as the Cougars committed four errors in the two innings.
Sydni Williams' double drove in Calli McConnell's reach on a hit batsman to begin Barton's fourth inning with Jaysa Anderson's sacrifice fly pushing home Henderson's earlier walk to cut the deficit to 7-3.
Barton's fifth error of the game extended the NCTC fifth inning resulting in a two-out hit adding two more to the scoreboard.
The Lions put the final touches on the game in the top of the seventh, again producing two-out runs on back-to-back doubles.
RECAP vs Odessa
Errors were costly in the first game of the day and an error in the bottom of the first against the 3rd ranked Wranglers put the Cougars behind the eight ball.
Henderson got the start in circle, striking out the first two batters before an infield error extended the inning. As all good teams do, Odessa made the Cougars pay for the miscue with two straight singles and a double resulting in three runs, then following a pair of walks to load the bases, produced an RBI hit with left fielder Laci Dryden gunning out the final out at the plate.
Following a scoreless second frame, Odessa put two more on the board in the third on a two-out solo home run followed by a walk and RBI single.
The Wranglers pushed margin to the run-rule threshold in the home half of the fourth behind a one-out two-run homerun.
Barton was held off the basepaths until the fourth inning, Leslie Ramos getting on base with a one-out hit batsman.
Kayden Smith's double to open up the Cougars' final frame broke up the no-hitter, Jaysa Anderson and Lani Dryden delivered one-out singles to load the bases, but the sacks stayed full as Odessa's Rayna Cruickshanks completed her shutout on her 6th strikeout and induced a game ending pop-out.
Notes:
Kayla Beers picked up Barton's 11-2 victory Friday over Otero Junior College, striking out five in helping to earn Head Coach Carson DuBose' first collegiate win. In game two of the doubleheader, Beers pitched the final two innings against Odessa College in striking out two to bring her Barton career total to 200 strikeouts.