Barton Softball falls out of first place on twinbill loss at Hutchinson #GoBarton

The Barton Community College softball team's offense was held in check today at the Fun Valley Sports Complex in dropping a pair of conference contests 6-0 and 6-2 versus Hutchinson Community College.

The third straight conference defeat concluding the first trip around the league slate slides Barton into second place at 13-3 and 19-9 overall while Hutchinson assumes command of the conference race improving to 15-1 and 21-5 overall.

Barton will look to get back on track Sunday in Liberal for a 1:00 p.m. start at Seward County Community College. The Cougars and the Saints opened conference play back on February 27 with Barton protecting home turf on 11-0 and 14-10 victories.

Barton managed just four hits in the shutout opener as Hutchinson outhit the Cougars 18-12 on the day sending Meleia Ingram (10-4) to the game one loss with Brooklynn Angielski (8-4) taking the game two defeat.

Alicia Goseland allowed just two hits and one run giving the Cougars 4.3 solid frames in combined relief duties.

Elina Bartlett and Chloe Enslinger led Barton with three hits each, one in the opener followed by a pair of connections in game two.

Karter Alvord picked up all three of her hits in game two including plating Barton's lone runs, the first coming in the second frame following Bartlett's double in tying up the contest before a fourth inning single plated Enslinger's leadoff hit.

Barton's lead lasted into the fifth when three batters into the frame produced three runs, a leadoff bunt single scoring on a triple followed by a 2-run home run, before tacking on another pair of runs in the sixth on three hits.

In game one, a two-out hit put the first Hutchinson run on the board in their first at-bat. Two innings later, consecutive doubles sparked a four-run frame with another solo run being tacked on in the fourth.