Lawrence's walk-off lifts Barton Softball over No. 19 Cowley, Tigers salvage split in extra innings #GoBarton

Tuesday's non-conference doubleheader at Cougar Field had the flair for dramatics in both contests as the Barton Community College softball team knocked off Division II 19th ranked Cowley College 6-5 in the opener with the Tigers getting revenge in the nightcap on a 9-7 extra inning affair.

The Cougars trailed game one until scoring three runs in the home half of the sixth but Cowley answered with back-to-back home runs in their final at-bat to tie it up. Responding by putting runners on the corners with no outs, Barton's Aly Lawrence lined an 0-1 pitch off the centerfield fence providing the RBI walk-off victory.

Game two's script flipped with the Cougars taking an early 4-0 lead for an eventual 5-1 advantage to the fifth. The Tigers cut the deficit to one sending nine to the plate as Barton would get the run back in the home half. Cowley again put a run on the board in the sixth but were down to their final out when Karleigh Bell drove a 1-1 pitch out of the park for her 5th home run of the season tying the game at six. Into the extra frame 8th inning, Cowley pushed across a run before Emily Louderback's 8th round-tripper of the season dug the Cougars a three run deficit. Barton struck back with one run but would strand the tying run at the plate for the twin bill split.

The result leaves Barton at 10-10 on the season with Cowley moving to 20-9.

Barton, 7-3 in conference play, returns to league action with a pair of 1:00 p.m. first pitch home contests beginning Saturday versus Northwest Kansas Technical College (0-8, 0-20) followed by Wednesday's contest against Pratt Community College (1-7, 5-13).

The Dryden sisters led the Cougars on the day, Laci Dryden reached base five times in batting .571 at the top of the lineup going 4-of-7 with a pair of RBI while Lani Dryden anchored the lower end of the card with two hits and getting on board twice via a walk.

Mikaila Herring collected hits in both contests extending her hit streak to 21-straight games across her freshman and now sophomore campaign in passing Halie Stoneking's 19-game hit streak from last year and continuing the chase of Jaysa Anderson's school record 30 straight also set from last season.

Elina Bartlett entrance in game one's seventh inning following Brooklynn Angielski and Alicia Goseland turn in the circle earned the victory but 4.1 innings of relief of Aly Lawrence's game two start would hand the freshman her first loss in dropping to 2-1 on the year.