Big innings lead Barton Softball’s conference opening sweep over Seward County #GoBarton

The Barton Community College softball team pushed 25 runs across the plate Wednesday with 29 combined hits in its 2025 home opening doubleheader victory over Seward County Community College.

Barton's explosive output in a pair of innings led the path to victory, in game one it was an eight-run third frame followed by eleven runs in the Cougars' first at-bat of the nightcap going on to a 14-10 final score.

The KJCCC opener for each team moves Barton to 5-5 on the season with Seward County slipping to 4-10. Barton next travels to Colby Community College on Saturday for a 1:00 p.m. first pitch doubleheader.

Within the Cougars' 29 hits on the afternoon, four left the ballpark headlined by collegiate first home runs by Mia Mascarenas, Peyton McCormick, and Karter Alvord as sophomore Allyson McDougal's first of the season was the sophomore's 5th overall.

Limiting the Saints to just two hits in the opener, Meleia Ingram struck out 8 improving to 3-2 then fanned another four in relief duty of game two earning her second save of the season.

Game 1 Recap
Batting out of the No. 9 hole of the lineup, Alvord was one of five Cougars collecting two or more hits in the contest, both coming in Barton's 8-run, third inning frame.

Alvord led off the inning with a single, later following with an RBI double as part of the Cougars' eight total hits. McDougal provided an RBI double, McCormick driving in two on a bases loaded single, and Mascarenas launching a three-run home run to deep centerfield for the sophomore's first collegiate fence clearer.

Barton added the rest of their runs in the ensuing fourth, McCormick driving in the first with Morgan Thatcher delivering a two-out, 2RBI shot up the middle of the diamond.

Game 2 Recap
A two-out double extended the Saints' first inning with Barton's lone error of the afternoon allowing the run to score.

The Saints returned the favor three-fold in the home half. Laney Wood's first of two hits in the frame leading off the inning followed by the Saints' first miscue allowing McDougal to reach base. Swiping her first of two stolen bases in the inning, McDougal's theft resulted in an errant throw resulting in a second error tying it up at one.

From there the Cougars added ten more runs on six additional hits and another Saint error in taking an 11-1 lead.

McCormick highlighted the big inning with two hits and 3-RBIs, two coming in her first at-bat blasting her first collegiate home run. Wood drove in two additional runs with McDougal and Enslinger each credited with an RBI in the frame.

Barton would add another tally in the second inning on Lawrence's two-out RBI single pushing the margin out to 12-1.

Seward County began to chip away at the deficit plating four in the third before chasing Brooklynn Angielski from the game getting consecutive hits to begin the fourth. McCormick took over in the circle inducing a fly out, but another pair of runs crossed cutting the Cougars' lead in half at 12-6.

McDougal's solo home run got one of the runs back in the home half, but the Saints would double it in their next at-bat on a Allyson Morgan's two-out dinger.

One frame later the Saints drew within three on Danica Kowalik's leadoff home run resulting in a call to the bullpen bringing Ingram back to the circle striking out two in closing out the Saints' threat.

Just as Kowalik did in the top half, Alvord also led off the inning with a big fly pushing the margin back out to four.

Picking up her first collegiate base hit as the Cougars' stranded the bases loaded after Alvord's round-tripper, Ingram went back to work in the seventh by shutting down a leadoff walk with consecutive strikeouts followed by the game-wrapping harmless fly ball to right field.

Ingram earned her second save of the season helping Angielski pick up her first victory of the sophomore's season improving to 1-2.