Barton Softball opens conference with sweep at Garden City #GoBarton

The Barton Community College softball team took to the road Saturday to open up conference play with a doubleheader sweep at Garden City Community College.

The Cougars jumped out to a six run lead two frames into game one, pounding out 14 hits in the 13-3 victory before needing a sixth inning comeback for an 8-7 win to complete the sweep.

Now 7-6 on the year, Barton's next action remains in conference play with a 1:00 p.m. Wednesday first pitch hosting Seward County Community College.

Jenna Henderson picked up her first win in the circle as a Cougar, throwing five innings of five-hit ball and striking out five improving to 1-3 on the season. Kayla Beers, who pitched two scoreless innings of game one, picked up game two victory in hurling the final three innings in scattering just two hits improving to 3-0 on the year.

Four Cougars had four hits on the day, Calli McConnell picking up three in game one including her second homerun of the year and driving in four runs then providing the game winner in the 6th frame of game two with a bases loaded double to cap her 7 RBI day. Sydni Williams drove in three runs on her two hits of the opener before launching her 4th dinger of the season in game two in tacking on two more RBIs.

Halie Stoneking set the top of the lineup with Jaysa Anderson bolstering the middle part of the card in each going 4-of-9 on the day.

Game 1 Recap
Stoneking began her three hit opener with a single and one-out later, trotted home on McConnell's fence clearer staking Barton out to the early lead.

Henderson helped her cause in the circle by leading off the frame with a double to score on Lani Dryden's double. Twin sister Laci Dryden followed with a double and following Stoneking's' RBI groundout, Leslie Ramos put the Cougars up five with her first collegiate triple.

Garden City scored three unearned runs in the home half of the fourth, the Cougars' lone error opening up the frame as a RBI groundout and single cutting Barton's lead in half.

The Broncbusters returned the favor in the fifth on a two-out error allowing the Cougars to get a run back before burying the home squad with a trio of three-run frames to close it out.

McConnell and Williams singles pushed across two of the three in the sixth inning with consecutive two-out doubles by Williams and Anderson tacking on the final three runs in the seventh frame.

Beers took over for Henderson in the sixth, surrendering two hits and striking out two keeping the Broncbuster from gaining any late momentum.

Game 2 Recap
Reigning Co-Conference Pitcher of the Week Jessica Morgan got the game two start, sending the Broncbusters down in order in their first at-bat.

Garden City struck back in the second frame, stringing three singles and a sacrifice fly together in the second inning for a pair of runs before chasing Morgan with another two plate crossers in taking advantage of a Barton error to lead 4-0.

A pair of Broncbuster errors helped the Cougars cut the deficit to one in the fourth, Lani Dryden providing the lone RBI coming on a sacrifice fly.

Taking over in the circle in the third and getting a line-out double play to escape further damage, Kaylee Richardson couldn't escape problems in the fourth as an error and two singles loaded the bases before a passed ball and walk helped Garden City add two runs for a 6-3 lead.

Williams gave the Cougars a big 2-out boost in the ensuing fifth inning as Stoneking's leadoff single looked to be stranded until the sophomore launched her 4th homerun of the year closing the deficit to one.

Beers worked out of a hit-by-pitch and one-out walk to keep the score steady in turning the frame back to the Cougars' time at bat.

Kayden Smith was one of three Cougars with two hits in game two, none larger than fighting off four 2-2 count pitches resulting in a leadoff single. Following Lani Dryden reaching on a fielder's choice, Laci Dryden loaded the bases as all were safe on Garden City's third error of the game.

Down to their final out, McConnell was looking down the barrel of an 0-2 count before lacing a double to center as Smith was followed by the speedy Dryden girls in taking a two-run lead.

Trouble ensued to begin the sixth, Barton's fourth error allowing the leadoff to reach with a walk and catcher's interference loading the bags. Inducing a sacrifice fly, Beers struck out the next before Ramos gunned out another runner to end the threat.

After the Cougars hit into a double play erasing Anderson's leadoff single and Smith picking up her second hit but being stranded, once again Beers pitched in stress as a one-out double and single put runners at the corners but the Broncbusters were unable to score in hitting into a groundout with a foul fly-out ending it.