The conference road hasn't been kind lately to the Barton Community College softball team as the Cougars' short trip to Hutchinson came up empty in a pair of run-rule losses at 17th ranked Hutchinson Community College 9-1 and 13-0.
The Cougars mustered just three hits in the twin bill against the conference's top rated pitching staff, aiding the troubles at the plate by committing seven defensive errors resulting in less than half of the Blue Dragons' runs being earned.
Barton drops to 17-7 in conference play and 24-17 overall while conference leading Hutchinson improves to 19-3 in league and 31-6 on the season.
Looking for home turf cures to end a four-game slide, the Cougars' next contest comes Saturday at 1:00 p.m. hosting fourth place Colby as the sophomore class will be recognized in between the pair of games. The Trojans come to Great Bend after sweeping the Cougars last Friday and earning a split with 16th ranked Butler today to join Barton in the loss column at 15-7 in league play and 26-10 overall.
Barton will then travel to Butler on Wednesday, April 19, before closing out Cougar Field April 26 hosting Dodge City, wrapping up the regular season April 29 at Northwest Kansas Technical College.
Game One Recap
Kaylee Richardson's fifth start of the season in the circle began a little rocky with a hit batsman and a 1-out walk but the freshman induced a pop-up and was a strike away from getting out of the inning. Instead, the Blue Dragons connected on a two-RBI single followed by a run producing double before Richardson would end the inning on a strikeout and a 3-0 deficit.
The Cougars answered back with their lone run of the day coming in the second frame, Jaysa Anderson sending a deep triple to the outfield in scoring on Kayden Smith's single. Barton would strand two runners the rest of the game, Jenna Henderson's reach on a hit batsman being the first to end the threat.
Barton committed just one official error in the opening game but it sparked the Blue Dragons' second straight three-run frame, two runs coming unearned. A walk and hit began the inning with a throwing error on a sacrifice bunt resulting in the first run to score. A walk ensued loading the bags as a fielder's choice pushed across the second plate crosser. The Cougars got a solid infield play to force a runner out at the plate but a pick-off throw and run-down allowed the third run in scoring for the six run Blue Dragon lead.
Hutchinson closed out the scoring in the home half of the third with their third straight three-run frame. Consecutive hit batsmen, the first by Richardson and the second from reliever Jessica Morgan, put two aboard in trotting home on a big three-run fence clearer by Jaeleigh Darnell pushed the margin to the run rule.
Aside from the second inning, Barton's only other base runner came in the third as Halie Stoneking's reach on the Blue Dragons' lone error was replaced on a one-out fielder's choice before the Cougars were picked off first base to end the frame.
Richardson took the loss after two innings of work in dropping to 2-2 with Morgan finishing the final two frames. Hutchinson's Emily Munson earned the complete game victory improving to 5-0 in striking out just one but allowing just the two hits while walking none.
Game Two Recap
Opportunities were few on the day but the third inning gave Barton their best chance at scoring in the back end of the doubleheader following Henderson's leadoff walk and the frame extending single by Laci Dryden for the Cougars' lone hit of the contest.
Morgan returned to the circle for the game two start, keeping Hutchinson intact through the first two frames behind a pair of strikeouts but the game unraveled in the third after Barton had come up empty in their opportunity.
Barton committed three errors in the home half, compounded by Hutchinson's five hits resulting in seven unearned runs to go on the board.
A throwing error began the inning, and following a single advancing on a throw, the Cougars' committed the second error in plating another. A one-out single would bring Kayla Beers to the circle, a single loading the bags with a hit by pitch pushing the Hutchinson lead to three. One batter later the margin doubled on a triple as Barton's third miscue allowed the seventh run to cross on a two-out error.
With Morgan returning back to the circle in closing out the third inning, Hutchinson strung three consecutive hits together with a Barton error mixed in during the fourth frame at-bat pushing the lead to 8-0. Enter Henderson into the circle and after inducing a fielder's choice, the Cougars committed two more errors with Hutchinson compounding the issue with a trio of additional hits resulting in lighting up the scoreboard 13-0.
The two frames of defensive collapses and Hutchinson's eleven hits in their twenty-three at-bats gave the Blue Dragons all they would need in securing the season series sweep.
Morgan absorbed the loss dropping to 8-3 on the year with Morgan Pennycuff's one-hit, four strikeout performance improved the sophomore's season record to 11-2.