The Barton Community College softball team took a 4-3 and 5-1 doubleheader loss Saturday at Hutchinson Community College.
The Cougars trailed after the first inning of both games at Fun Valley, making the first game interesting as a two run seventh inning rally fell short but in the nightcap were never able to mount a big inning as the Blue Dragons put up three in the opening frame to sweep the season series.
Despite the losses, Barton holds steady in third place of the conference standings at 14-10 and 20-16 overall while Hutchinson keeps pace for a title bid in second place at 19-3 and receiving votes in the latest national poll at 28-6.
Next up is a Wednesday trip to Colby Community College for a 2:00 p.m. first pitch doubleheader before having the weekend off in preparation of hosting No. 6 Butler Community College on April 20th.
Game One Recap
The Blue Dragons plated two with two-outs in their first at-bat, stringing four straight singles in grabbing the early lead.
Barton was held to just four hits in the contest, two coming in the second inning with Jaysa Anderson's single leading off the frame to score with two outs on Sammi Baldwin's single.
Hutchinson got the run back in the home half with a little help, loading the bases on a leadoff hit-by-pitch, a one out single, and drawing two consecutive two-out walks.
Barton's lone error allowing Hutchinson's leadoff aboard to begin the sixth proved costly as a sacrifice bunt and RBI single gave the Blue Dragons a significant insurance run to the seventh inning.
Lexi Dryden collected two of the Cougar four hits, the first coming on a third inning leadoff single in being joined by Smith's walk to be stranded in the frame. Barton went silent at the plate for the next three innings, the trend continuing to open the seventh as Teegan Krol was robbed by a great diving catch in right field for a big first out of the frame. One batter later Baldwin reached on a hit by pitch and down to their final out, Dryden connected on a liner down the left field line for her 4th dinger of the season closing the gap to one. The rally was short lived however as Hutchinson's closer Riley Wertz entered to strikeout the final out.
Kayla Beers took the loss dropping to 8-8 on the season, allowing seven hits, three walks, and two earned runs while striking out five. Julia Carey pitched the final sixth inning, allowing a hit and walk in relief.
Emily Munson, who lasted just 1.2 innings in the teams' previous meeting, walked none and held the Cougars to the four hits behind six strikeouts improving to 5-0 on the year. Wertz' lone batter faced earned her 5th save of the season.
Game Two Recap
A pair of walks early in the home half of the nightcap scored on consecutive one-out singles as the first of two Barton errors in the game help tack on another in Hutchinson taking a 3-0 lead.
The Blue Dragons tacked on solo runs in the third and fourth, the first coming on a one-out groundout scoring one of the two Hutchinson hits in the frame while in the fourth, a two-out double would score one batter later on an RBI hit.
The Cougars' lone run of the game was also produced on two outs, Smith extending the frame with a hit to then speed around the bases on Halie Stoneking's RBI double.
Kiersten Weitze, who was also chased early from the game in the previous match-up, scattered five hits with a walk and three strikeouts to earn the win working 4.2 innings in the circle improving to 7-1. Earning both victories in relief back in Great Bend, Wertz took over for the final 2.1 frames to strike out four in claiming her second save of the day and sixth of the season.
Jessica Morgan took the loss dropping to 10-6 on the year, allowing five hits and three walks for two earned runs with just a pair of strikeouts. Sydni Williams worked the final 3.2 innings in striking out two with three hits and allowing one run.