The Barton Community College softball team opened up its 2024 season with split results Friday in Odessa, Texas.
The Cougars lost a 17-12 shootout in the opener to host 4th ranked Odessa College before taking the field twenty minutes later posting a five-inning 11-0 shutout over Luna Community College.
Barton tangles with the same teams again on Saturday with a 10:00 a.m. first pitch against Odessa to then take on Luna again wrapping up the Texas trip.
RECAP vs Odessa College
The Cougars collected 14 hits in its season debut but couldn't keep up with the host Wrangler's scoring fourteen runs in the first three innings and pounding out 17 hits including a pair of three-run home runs.
Spotting Odessa five runs in the first frame, the Cougars got three back in the second but the home half of the second produced five plate crossers with another four plating in the third digging Barton a 14-3 deficit.
The Cougars gained momentum with an eight run fourth to cut the deficit to just three but after holding Odessa scoreless in the bottom part of the inning couldn't build upon the energy in coming up empty in the fifth.
Odessa's second three-run home run of the contest pushed the gap back to six in the bottom of the fifth with Barton only able to produce one run in the final two frames.
All but one in the lineup collected a hit, with 8-hole batter Mikaila Herring leading with three hits and two RBIs. Batting on either side of Herring, Mia Mascarenas and Lani Dryden also drove in two apiece with Dryden going 2-of-3 out of the 9-hole.
Leadoff Laci Dryden followed by Leslie Ramos in the lineup joined Herring with two hits each.
Brooklynn Angielski took the loss in the circle, walking three in her two innings of work with the Wranglers connecting on fourteen hits. Alicia Goseland worked the final four innings surrendering three runs on five hits while striking out two batters in her collegiate debut.
RECAP vs Luna Community College
The Barton bats stayed hot in the back end of the doubleheader, pounding out 15 while getting a one-hit, four strikeout performance by Cheney freshman Elina Bartlett.
In addition to picking up her collegiate debut victory, Bartlett also helped her cause from the plate with two doubles in a team leading 3-of-4 performance and chalking up her first RBI in the Cougars' big fourth inning.
Seven other Cougars collected a hit with the top three of lineup (Laci Dryden, Ramos, and Ally Lawrence) each having two hits as did Allyson McDougal and Herring's second straight multiple hit game.
Lawrence led the run production with four RBI including two coming on her first collegiate triple. Herring drove in three behind a pair of doubles with McDougal driving in two.