Cougars' late rally comes up short in split home opener against Rose State #GoBarton

Opening the home portion of its 2026 schedule Tuesday afternoon, the Barton Community College softball team split a doubleheader with Rose State College, claiming a 6-1 victory in the opener before falling 4-3 in the nightcap.

Behind another quality start from Charley Wheeler, who struck out seven, the Cougars generated offense in three separate innings to secure the five-run win in game one. In the second contest, Barton battled back from an early deficit but stranded seven baserunners over the final three frames in coming up just short.

The split moves Barton to 5-7 on the season, while Rose State, a national qualifier a year ago, departed Great Bend at 5-9.

Barton will remain at Cougar Field for its next two dates, beginning Saturday with a doubleheader against Northeastern Junior College followed by Monday's matchup versus Division II No. 18 Cowley College. Both twin bills are scheduled for 1:00 p.m. first pitches.

On the afternoon, Laney Wood reached base four times and scored three runs, while Carly Erpelding batted .714 across the twin bill with five hits, two extra-base knocks including her second home run of the season, and RBIs in both contests.

Game One – Barton 6, Rose State 1
Barton broke through in the third inning, manufacturing a pair of runs from the top of the order. Kahli Fields ignited the rally and scored on Wood's RBI single to center. Two batters later, Erpelding lined a run-scoring single to give the Cougars a 2-0 advantage.

Rose State trimmed the margin in the fifth on a run-scoring double, but Barton answered immediately in the bottom half. Peyton McCormick's RBI infield single restored a two-run cushion before Morgan Thatcher followed with a base hit to left, extending the lead to 4-1.

The Cougars added insurance in the sixth. Shaylee Spears drew a walk and came around to score on Wood's RBI double, scoring on Mollie Steiner double to right center for the final 6-1 margin.

Wheeler was steady throughout, tossing a complete-game five-hitter to improve to 4-2 on the season. The right-hander scattered three walks while striking out seven in following her previous 10 punchout performance last time on the diamond.

Barton finished with 11 hits in the opener, led by Wood's 3-for-4 performance that included two RBIs and three runs scored. Erpelding went a perfect 3-for-3 with a walk and RBI, while McCormick added two hits in the victory.

Game Two – Rose State 4, Barton 3
The nightcap featured early power swings. Rose State opened the scoring on a first-inning sacrifice fly before Erpelding answered immediately, launching a solo home run in the bottom half to even the game on her second home run of the year.

The Raiders regained the lead in the second on a two-run homer, Barton responding in the fourth when Hailey Horton delivered a two-run blast to center, her first as a Cougar, scoring Erpelding's leadoff double and knotting the contest at three.

Rose State reclaimed the lead for good in the fifth as a 2-out infield single would be the game winner on an RBI double to center.

The Cougars had chances late but could not break through. Barton stranded two runners in the fifth with one out, left the bases loaded in the sixth with one away, and put two aboard to begin the seventh before Rose State escaped the jam to secure the split.

Erpelding again paced the offense with a 2-for-4 showing, highlighted by her home run, Horton driving in two with her fourth-inning blast, while Wood, Karter Alvord, Chalyn Boone, and McCormick each added hits.

McCormick was tagged with the loss dropping to 1-5, allowing four runs over five innings of work. Ellie Crawford provided two innings of scoreless relief, keeping Barton within striking distance down the stretch.