The Barton Community College softball team ran its win streak to six straight as the Cougars completed a doubleheader sweep Wednesday over Seward County Community College.
The Cougars took game one at Cougar Field in the minimum five innings 8-0 before capping the conference sweep with a 9-3 victory.
Barton improves to 4-0 in league play and 9-6 overall while dropping Seward County to 0-4 in conference and 2-14 on the season. Next up is a Saturday 12:00 p.m. first pitch at Pratt Community College.
The Cougars pounded out 22 hits while hurlers Jenna Henderson and Kayla Beers combined to limit the Saints bats to eight hits and eleven strikeouts.
At the top of the lineup Halie Stoneking set the tone in going 5-of-7 with three extra base hits including a belted game two leadoff home run deep in the left field trees for her fourth of the year.
Jaysa Anderson stood out in the opening game victory going 2-of-4 with four RBI's, the first hit coming on a first inning double with the second hit clearing the fence for Barton's clinching three runs in the bottom of the fourth.
The day also saw a pair of collegiate first home run achievements for freshmen Mikaila Herring and Leslie Ramos. Making the game two left field start, Herring belted a second inning 1-out home run putting the Cougars up 2-1 with Ramos connecting on her first an inning later with a 1-out two-run shot pushing the margin to 6-1.
Makenzie Haslett made the game two start behind the dish, lacing her first double as a Cougar in going 2-of-3 from the number nine spot in the lineup.
Henderson improved to 2-3 in the circle, sending the Saints down in order three of the five frames in recording her second straight five-strikeout performance. Beers ran her super-sophomore record to 4-0 and 26-18 in her career, striking out six in her seven frames to eclipse five or more strikeouts for the 25th time.
Game 1 Recap
Three doubles put Barton ahead 2-0 in their first at-bat, Stoneking picking up her lone hit of the opener in driving a 2-2 pitch to the fence for her second two-bagger of the season. One-out later Calli McConnell found the fence on a hop and another out later, Anderson drove in the first of her four RBIs on her 4th double of the year.
Henderson struck out three in sending the Saints down in order the first two frames, running into trouble in the third inning by surrendering her first walk and single. The Saints then tried to execute a sac bunt to advance the runners, but popped up in foul territory where the shifting defense put shortstop Lani Dryden on the run to field then throw to second in wiping out the threat on the double play.
Ramos led off the Cougar third with a single, Williams joined her on the bags drawing a one-out walk, with Henderson helping her cause driving in the pair on her 4th double of the season. Kayden Smith extended the frame on her second of two walks as Lani Dryden driving her 9th with a single.
The Saints again threatened in the fourth getting a pair of hits to lead off the inning but Henderson extinguished the flame with an infield pop-up and consecutive strikeouts.
Ramos' walk and McConnell's second double in her three at-bats got on board with one out but the Cougars looked to strand the pair as Anderson faced a 1-2 count before driving the next pitch out of the yard for her first of the season in giving Barton the run-rule clinching mark.
Henderson sealed the shutout in the fifth, inducing a pair of groundouts before a game ending fly to Stoneking in center.
Game 2 Recap
Beers appeared to sail through the first inning getting a groundout and strikeout but a walk extended the frame. The Saints took advantage by connecting on a hit and working another walk before drawing first blood on a single to right field. The damage was limited there as the defense stepped up on the play, Anderson firing towards the plate with Williams, McConnell, and Haslett executing the run-down to end the inning.
Two pitches into Barton's first at-bat, the Cougars had to bring out a new ball as Stoneking buried the sphere mid-way up the trees lining left field in tying Williams for the team long ball lead. Later in the inning, Anderson collected the first of her two hits in extending her hit streak to eight straight.
Beers settled down in the circle sending the Saints down in order including fielding a pop-up and firing to first for a third frame ending double play while the offense would build a 6-1 lead.
Like Stoneking did in the first, Herring liked the second pitch she saw in the home half of the second, clearing the fence for her first collegiate round tripper. Haslett followed with her first double as a Cougar in walking home a batter later as Stoneking beat out the throw at third for her second triple of the season. Lani Dryden's sac bunt allowed Stoneking to beat the throw home as Barton led 4-1 after two.
Having her four-game hit streak end in the opener, Williams led off the third with her first of two singles in game two. An out later Ramos made personal history joining Stoneking and Herring in launching a 1-0 pitch beyond the fence growing the lead to five.
The Saints cut the deficit in half in the fourth, leading off the frame with a double and single before executing a double steal to put a run on the board with a groundout plating another.
Haslett's leadoff walk was joined one batter later on Stoneking's third hit, an out later both sped the bases on McConnell's nation's second best 10th double of the year. Williams followed with her second consecutive single with Anderson following with a groundout for her 5th RBI of the day to close out the scoring.
Beers sent the Saints down in order in the final two frames, Barton stranding the bases loaded in each of their final at-bats keeping the final scored locked at 9-3.