Barton Softball rebounds for season opening split at Crowder #GoBarton

The Barton Community College softball team opened its 2025 season Friday in Neosho, Missouri, splitting a pair of run-rule contests at Crowder College.

Crowder, who is receiving votes in the NJCAA pre-season poll, took advantage of ten Barton walks in the opener and pounded out 16 hits including belting a pair of grand slams for an 18-4 victory.

The Cougars regrouped in game two salvaging the split 11-2 behind the 3-hit, 7-strikeout performance from freshman hurler Meleia Ingram while offensively being powered by sophomores Chloe Enslinger's 4-of-4 at the plate and Mia Mascarenas' 3 RBI.

Barton is tentatively set to open their home slate on Tuesday, with confirmation coming sometime over the weekend. Otherwise, Barton's next contest will come Friday, February 14, in Denison, Texas, for a pair of games in each of the two-day's south swing.

Enslinger led the team going 4-of-6 overall with a pair of RBI, Allyson McDougal with three hits to extend her hit streak to 11-straight games dating back to last season, with Mascarenas' trio of runs driven in led the squad's scoring.

Game 1 Recap
A rough start put the Cougars on their heels early, Crowder taking a first inning lead following a pair of singles, and a hit-by-pitch followed by an RBI walk. One out later, the Roughriders cleared the bases on their first of two grand slams before adding their sixth run of the opening frame via a 2-out double.

Barton struck back in the third inning pushing four across the dish, beginning the frame loading the bases on a walk and reach on error with Karter Alvord's single filling the bags. Laney Wood's walk pushed the first run across then following a pair of wild pitches plating two more, Aly Lawrence drove in the Cougars' last run with a double.

The momentum was short-lived as Crowder plated 11 runs in the home half running through three Barton pitchers and 7 hits including another grand slam. The Roughriders' concluded the opener's scoring in the ensuing fourth frame on a solo shot for their third big fly.

Game 2 Recap
Barton scored in the first three innings, Enslinger driving in the first frame run before the Cougars erupted for 9 plate crossers in the second with Alvord driving in a solo run in the third.

In the second frame, much like Crowder taking advantage of Barton's miscues in game one, the Cougars received a walk and consecutive reach on errors for its first three runs with McDougal extending her hit streak driving in another run

Four additional runs plated with two outs, Enslinger's RBI hit followed by Wood and Morgan Thatcher each drawing bases loaded RBI walks before Mascarenas concluded the big inning with an RBI single.

Ingram set the tone defensively, striking out a pair in each of the first two innings before getting tagged late with a fourth and fifth frame solo plate crossers.