Late rally falls short; Barton Softball has season end in the Region 6 Championship #GoBarton

A late inning rally came up just short for the Barton Community College softball team as the Cougars had their season end Monday afternoon falling to top-seeded Butler Community College 6-5 in the winner take all Region 6 Championship game at Legends Park in Dodge City.

Looking for their first Region 6 Championship since 2015 and first NJCAA tournament berth since 1993, Barton trailed 6-3 heading into the final frame, but the Cougars refused to go down without a fight drawing within 6-5 on back-to-back two-out Elina Bartlett and Karter Alvord RBI singles leaving a glimpse of hope before a pop-up ensuing stranded the tying run at first base.

The Cougars close a memorable 2025 season at 35-16 overall while going 3-2 in the tournament and reaching the Region 6 Championship for the first time since 2021. Meanwhile the Grizzlies improve to 44-7 on the year and advance to the NJCAA National Tournament held May 19 – May 24 in Yuma, Arizona

Trailing 3-0 after two-innings, the Cougars came through with the next two runs as Allyson McDougal's top of the third inning RBI fielder's choice scored Laney Wood's leadoff single. Chloe Enslinger's fifth frame single trimmed the deficit to 3-2 knocking in Wood's leadoff double

The Grizzlies immediately answered back in the home fifth as back-to-back one-out doubles fashioned the first of a three-run answer with a single succeeding adding the second marker and bases loaded walk with two-outs pushing it out to 6-2.

Barton cut into the deficit in the sixth when Mia Mascarenas one-out walk and Morgan Thatcher's double flipped things back over to the top of the lineup with Wood's RBI groundout slicing the deficit to 6-3.

Down to their final out, the Cougars remained battling at the plate ultimately putting the tying run on base. McDougal's leadoff single became the first out on Enslinger's reaching on a fielder's choice. Down to their final out following Meleia Ingram's groundout, as the freshman was forced to hit for just the second time this season after reentering into the circle to get the final out of the fifth, Barton's next two made things interesting. Bartlett's two-out single ignited back-to-back RBI singles with Alvord adding her lone hit becoming the tying run before being stranded as a fly out five pitches later eliminated any potential Barton storybook finish.

The Cougars outhit the Grizzlies 13-10, but Butler held a plus-three edge in extra base hits as the teams combined for seven doubles.

Wood, McDougal, Enslinger, Peyton McCormick and Bartlett had two hits each to lead Barton's offense, who left nine runners on base.

Ingram suffered the loss closing her freshman campaign with a 19-7 record. Ingram started in the pitching circle going 1.1-innings before coming back on to get the final four outs finishing with a total line of 2.2-innings allowing three runs on five hits with three walks and a trio of strikeouts.

Alicia Goseland was efficient out of the bullpen holding Butler scoreless over two of her three innings scattering five hits for two runs with two punchouts. McCormick who entered for the first time since April 22nd against Butler, lasted 0.1-innings allowing a run with three walks.