A pair of seventh inning home runs proved the final winning margins Sunday afternoon at Cougar Field as nearly five hours of softball resulted in a doubleheader split between the Barton Community College and Colby Community College softball programs.
Colby took the 2 hour, 40 minute opener on an 11-10 score as their fifth home run provided the final difference via Kaylee Armstrong's two-out solo fence clearer. Barton rebounded in the 2 hour, 15 minute game two in seeing their four run lead evaporate in the late innings, setting up Jenna Henderson's two-run walk-off to salvage the split and snap the Cougars' five-game conference slide on "Sophomore Recognition Day". (Sophomore Recognition Photos)
The result keeps Barton two games ahead in the column for third place over Colby, the Cougars now 18-8 in conference play and 25-18 overall while the Trojans leave Great Bend at 16-8 and 27-11 on the season.
With three dates remaining on the regular season slate, Barton next travels to 16th ranked Butler on Wednesday for a 1:00 p.m. doubleheader. Following a week away from competition, the Cougars return for its home finale on Wednesday, April 26, before wrapping up the slate Saturday, April 29, at Northwest Kansas Technical College.
Barton had twenty-five hits in the twin bill, led by Halie Stoneking going 6-of-9 with five extra base hits including two home runs in driving six across the plate. In game one the sophomore was an outstanding 5-for-5, delivering a pair of doubles, single, and capping the game with her team leading 14th of the year to move into 6th best single season achievements and into the 3rd all-time spot. Scoring five runs on the day, Stoneking also took over the career top spot by crossing the plate 138 times in her third season.
KayLee Richardson earned the game two victory in the circle, spinning 2.2 innings of relief with two hits and four strikeouts improving to 3-2.
Making just her fourth appearance of her sophomore campaign, Julia Carey took the hard luck opening game loss with 3.1 innings of relief with five hits and two strikeouts in droppin to 0-1.
Game One Recap
Colby took an early two-run lead during their first at-bat against Jessica Morgan, getting a pair of hits and taking advantage of the first of five Barton errors in the game.
The Cougars fired back in the home half to take the lead, Stoneking's double scoring on Calli McConnell's 59th RBI of the year, inching one run closer to a program 4th best single season run producer. Jaysa Anderson followed with a single to score on Sydni Williams' 2-RBI double.
Four runs came across for the Trojans in the second to surge back in front, the first two batters reaching on consecutive Barton errors and trotting home on just the second home run of the year by Kaycee Valencia. Kaylee Armstrong followed with a double in scoring on Emily Sauvageau's single and the Cougars' third error of the frame.
Barton went scoreless in the second, turning the ball over to Kayla Beers for the top of third in stranding a one-out walk.
Coming to the plate for just her sixth time this season and in her now third year as a Cougar, Beers drove an 0-1 pitch deep to right field for her first collegiate hit resulting in a double and driving home Williams' walk slicing the deficit to two.
The Trojans got revenge on Beers in the top of third despite a leadoff walk being rolled up on shortstop Ireland Cotton's tap on the second base bag and completing the double play in firing to first. Facing a full-count, two-out pitch, hometown product Shailey Clarks's solo blast to right center for her 6th of the year extended the frame. Sauvageau followed with her 4th of the season as Kaylee Sheets became the third straight fence clearer in driving a full-count pitch out of the park for her 7th of the season and chasing Beers in lieu of Carey.
Trailing 9-4 into the home half, Stoneking's leadoff single for her third straight hit trotted home an out later on Anderson 10th of the year coming on a drive through the wind to left center.
A leadoff walk for Colby in the fifth resulted in getting one of the runs back with Valencia's RBI connection putting the Trojans up 10-6.
Stoneking brought the Cougars back by driving home four runs in the next two frames, plating Laci Dryden in the fifth on her then 13th dinger of the year before tying it up in the sixth sending Ireland Cotton's leading walk across the dish on her 14th of the year.
Into the seventh the Cougars rolled up their second double play, a leadoff bunt single erased by third baseman McConnell starting a 5-4-3 twin killing putting Colby down to their final out. Carey was on the verge of sending Armstrong down on strikes but the fourth pitch on the 1-2 count was sent deep to centerfield for the game winner.
Henderson gave the Cougars hope to begin the final frame on a single but Carey's liner up the middle was snagged by reliever Alexa Wade in doubling up pinch runner Lani Dryden at first. Kayden Smith extended the inning with a single as did Cotton with an infield single, moving to second on a stolen base, but Wade closed out the game with her third strikeout in two innings of work sealing the victory.
Game Two Recap
Scoring three runs in the first inning of game one, the Cougars plated two in their first at-bat of game two, the first coming on Laci Dryden's blooper down the left field line as the speedy freshman raced the bags for an inside-the-park home run for her 2nd of the season. McConnell followed with a one-out single in racing the bases on Anderson's triple in getting thrown out at the plate trying to match Dryden's inside the parker.
Williams kept the Trojans in check behind three strikeouts in the first two frames before Colby broke through in the third with a pair of runs crossing on Valencia's two-out single.
Colby took the lead in the fourth with two-outs, a double scoring on Ellie Garrie's single and following a hit by pitch, plated another on a Madi Jorgensen's single.
Barton responded with a six-spot in the home half, loading the bases on Smith and Leslie Ramos singles and Cotton's walk, getting the benefit of a wild pitch before an RBI hit from Dryden and a 2-RBI Stoneking triple. McConnell and Anderson walks reloaded the bases with Williams' fielder's choice capping the frame for an 8-4 home team lead.
A one-out error and ensuing double put two aboard with Sauvageau connecting on her second big fly of the day and fifth of the year closing the margin to one run.
The Cougars went quiet in the home half, Colby retaking the lead in the sixth on a walk and double scoring on Barton's second error of the contest.
Barton's heart of the lineup went down in order in the sixth but Richardson helped keep the Trojans silent in the top of the seventh with a pair of strikeouts keeping Barton in range of the one-run deficit.
Williams led off the concluding inning with her lone hit of game two with Henderson following looking for her first hit as well. Facing a 2-2 count, the sophomore transfer timed a pitch down the pipe and sent it well beyond the centerfield fence to cap sophomore recognition day with her 5th long ball of year providing the game winner.