The Barton Community College softball team opened up conference play Saturday at Cougar Field with a pair of decisive run-rule shortened victories over Garden City Community College.
The Cougars plated six runs in game one's fourth inning before wrapping up the contest with a sixth inning walk-off double for a 10-2 victory then ended the nightcap in the fifth inning by scoring twelve runs in the combined third and fourth frames for a 12-1 sweep clincher.
Barton improves to 8-4 on the season with the victories, dropping Garden City to 6-10. The Cougars will next head to Seward County Community College on Wednesday for a 1:00 p.m. doubleheader before hosting Pratt Community College next Saturday.
Kayla Beers and Jessica Morgan each earned victories in the circle, each improving to 4-2 on the year. Beers scattered five hits and struck out five in the opener with Sydni Williams closing out the sixth inning allowing one hit and striking out one. Morgan went the five full frames of the back-end, allowing just two hits, walking none, and striking out six.
The Barton offense hit for .500 on the day, collecting 29 hits in its 58 at-bats. Teegan Krol belted a pair of home runs in her 5-for-7 afternoon, adding a double in driving in five runs while Lexi Dryden had two doubles and three RBIs in her 4-for-5 day anchoring the bottom of the lineup. Williams drove in four runs, joined by Kennedee Lara and Halie Stoneking as each collected four hits.
Game One Recap
Garden City got on the board first, Ryanna Johnson lacing a two strike pitch for a single to lead off the contest before NJCAA 2nd team All-American Nya Chacon spoiled Beers' two strikeout first frame by driving a two strike pitch to right center for the run producing double.
The Cougars tied it up in the home half, Kayden Smith roping a double to straight away center to lead off the inning, scoring on Williams' sacrifice fly after Ireland Cotton's single moved her to third.
Dryden fouled off four 2-2 two-out pitches before coming on the first of her two doubles in the game in driving home Stoneking's reach on a dropped third strike.
Following a scoreless third inning, Barton opened up the flood gates in the fourth sending nine to the plate and producing six runs. Cotton began the fun with a walk, stealing second resulting in an error to move over to third before scoring on Williams' single. Following a wild pitch, Jaysa Anderson delivered her 5th double of the year plating Williams, scoring one batter later as Lara laced a triple past a sliding outfield. Krol drilled the second pitch over the centerfield fence to plate two more with Dryden capping the inning with her 4th double of the season to drive in Stoneking's single coming after Krol's fence clearer.
Elycia Johnson's leadoff home run began the fifth inning but Beers escaped further damage as a Garden City base running mistake wiped out a potential rally and closed the door with her then fourth strikeout.
Barton put the game away in the sixth inning, Cotton leading off the inning with her second hit but needing a Lara two-out hit to extend the frame. Krol then delivered an RBI single with Stoneking driving a deep shot to center as the valiant effort by Alexis Maestretti was met by the fence knocking the ball loose for the walk-off.
Game Two Recap
Morgan set the tone for the nightcap, sending the Broncbusters down in order in each of the first four innings including a 1-2-3 fourth frame freezing all three batters on the strikeout looking.
Barton stranded one in the first and a pair of leadoff singles in the second, but made up for it in the third with five runs. Cotton and Williams drew 1-out walks to begin the rally, one out later Lara's double drove in two with Krol plating two more in blasting her second long ball of the afternoon. Stoneking kept the inning rolling with a double to left and following Adreanna Lance's walk, Dryden knocked in her third RBI day with a single.
The Cougars cranked it up again in the ensuing fourth inning, Cotton drawing the leadoff walk and scoring on Williams' double. Anderson singled scoring an out later on Krol's double who then scored on Stoneking's second consecutive two-bag hit. Dryden extend the inning with a two-out walk, followed by Smith's RBI single, Cotton's single, and Williams' run producing liner up the middle in closing out the scoring.
Morgan's lone blemish of the day came in the final fifth inning as Chacon belted her 5th home run of the season to lead off Garden City's last trip to the dish. After a fly-out to right field, Maestretti sent a lined single to the right center gap but Anderson erased the potential double throwing a strike to the bag wiping Maestretti off the paths, with a harmless two hopper to Cotton ended the contest.