Contributions up and down the lineup and in the circle helped the Barton Community College softball team to a doubleheader sweep over the junior varsity squad of Bethany College Tuesday afternoon at Cougar Field.
Sailing through the first game until the fifth inning, the Cougars' first two at-bats in the home half sealed the game as a walk-off two-run home run clinched the 13-5 run-rule victory. In game two featuring a lineup shuffle including a host of players getting quality playing time, Barton held control throughout for an 8-3 win to seal the sweep.
Concluding the pre-conference slate at 5-6 on the season, Barton begins conference play Saturday in a 1:00 p.m. twinbill at Garden City Community College. The Cougars will then host their first conference games of the season on Wednesday, March 1, against Seward County Community College.
The Cougars pounded out twenty-nine hits in the twelve innings played, led by the perfect seven at-bats from Jaysa Anderson and the pair of home runs each by Halie Stoneking and Sydni Williams in driving in eight of Barton's twenty-one plate crossers.
In the circle Jessica Morgan (3-2) and Kayla Beers (3-0) picked up victories with KayLee Richardson adding two innings of relief. The trio posted season high individual strikeouts in combining for 20 total, Morgan fanning eight in 4.1 innings, Beers racking up eight in five innings, and Richardson adding another four.
Game two also featured first accomplishments in a Cougar uniform. Cameron Pelzel went 2-for-3, getting her first hit to load the bases in the second inning leading to Makenzie Haslett's first hit coming on a triple in clearing the bases driving in her first runs. Two innings later Pelzel would also face a bases loaded situation, clearing the bags on her first double and runs batted in.
Game 1 Recap
Getting off to a slow start with the Swedes threatening with runners at second and third, a circle visit from Head Coach Carson DuBose seemed to settle Morgan down as the sophomore closed out the frame with two strikeouts.
Stoneking led off the Barton half with her first double of the year, scoring on Leslie Ramos's single. An out and a Williams single later, Jenna Henderson roped an RBI single with Anderson closing out the three-run frame with the first of her seven hits on the afternoon.
Bethany got two aboard in the second on two walks, but again Morgan snuffed out the threat in striking out three in the frame.
Laci Dryden went 2-for-2 out of the No. 9 spot in the lineup, getting on board in all three at-bats including beginning the second frame with a walk. Stoneking followed with a two-run fence clearer then following an out, Calli McConnell picked up her second of three hits in game one to trot home a batter later as Williams crushed a liner to center field. Kayden Smith's second double of the season extended the inning to score on Anderson's follow-up single in the lineup putting Barton out to a 8-0 lead.
Dryden again led off the third in collecting her first of two hits, scoring on a two-out McConnell single in tacking on another run.
Anderson's 1-out double and Lani Dryden's single put runners at the corners with Laci Dryden driving one in as Stoneking's scorched line drive to center was robbed but plated Lani Dryden on the sacrifice fly giving the Cougars an eleven run cushion into the fifth.
After the second inning, Morgan was humming in the circle sending the Swedes down in order in the 3rd and 4th frame in racking up three strikeouts in the process. However in the fifth the Swedes began to find their swing beginning with a leadoff single followed by a two-run home run just creeping over the centerfield fence. Following up with a double, the Swedes would draw a run closer as a passed ball and wild pitch produced the third run of the inning. Morgan induced an infield pop-up for the first out but walked the next bringing the cleanup batter to the plate.
Having struck out Katherine Range the first time and inducing an infield putout the second time to the plate, the third time was not the charm as Range launched a deep 2-run home run to spoil the run-rule victory and end Morgan's day. Beers checked into the circle inducing a pair of infield groundouts including a nice diving knock-down from Smith at second base.
McConnell led off the home half with a double and four pitches later, Williams drove a 1-2 pitch well beyond the fence line for the walk-off and capping her 4-for-4, 4-RBI contest.
Game 2 Recap
In a near identical start to game two, Beers found herself in a jam but dug deep to strike out the final two in escaping any damage.
Consecutive second inning connections from Williams, Henderson, and Pelzel's first hit as a Cougar loaded the bases with Haslett, who was robbed of her first home run as a Cougar in last week's darkness cancelled game hosting NOC-Enid, delivering Barton first runs via a triple caroming off the left field fence.
Range would strike again for the Swedes in the ensuing third, following up a hit batsman and two-out walk with a three-run homerun tying it up at three.
Anderson's one out single in the home half resulted putting Barton back in front scoring on Julia Carey's fielder's choice for her first RBI of the year.
Following the Swedes going down in order in the fourth, Barton closed out the game's scoring in the fourth.
Stoneking led off with her second jack of the afternoon with the Cougars loading the bases on Lani Dryden's walk, McConnell's single, and Anderson's 1-out hit setting up Pelzel's 3-RBI double to center.
Beers finished up her day with two punch outs in the fifth, Richardson closing out the final two frames striking out the side in the sixth before striking out her fourth in a row and inducing a pair of groundouts to counter the Swede's two hits.