Barton Softball awakes late to salvage doubleheader at Seward County #GoBarton

The Barton Community College softball team needed extra innings Wednesday in Liberal to salvage a doubleheader split at Seward County Community College.

The Cougars had opportunities galore to crack game one's scoreboard but stranded ten baserunners while the Saints plated all six of their runs with two outs in handing Barton its first shutout loss of the season with the 6-0 victory.

Jessica Morgan spun twelve strikeouts keeping Barton in game two giving time for the Cougar bats to awake for two seventh inning runs before producing the game winner in the eighth to salvage the split winning 3-2

The results moves Barton to 3-1 in conference play and 9-5 on the season while Seward County's conference opener leaves the Saints at 10-6 on the year.

Barton returns home for its next contest on Saturday hosting Pratt Community College in a 1:00 p.m. first pitch doubleheader at Cougar Field.

Game One Recap
A two-out gift plated the eventual game winner in the home half of the first inning as a dropped infield pop-up allowed the run to cross with a RBI single on the next at-bat delivered the second run.

Not being able to close the door with two-outs continued to haunt the Cougars with Seward County tacking on a third inning solo run after a double and pair of hits then put three more on the board in the fifth on a RBI single and 2-run double.

Barton had their chances leaving ten on base but couldn't deliver the big hit with golden opportunities in five of the next six innings.

The Cougars looked to answer back the Saints' two runs in the following top of the second, loading the bases with one-out on Jaysa Anderson lead off hit, Kennedee Lara's walk, and Halie Stoneking earning the badge of honor in being plunked after Teegan Krol's sac bunt.

Barton also had another pair of one-out opportunities in the next two innings, stranding Ireland Cotton and Sydni Williams walks in the third and Stoneking's single and stolen base to get into scoring position.

In the fifth Kayden Smith led off with a single up the middle followed by Cotton's full-count walk but again the Cougars couldn't score.

Following a down in order sixth inning, Smith's second hit of the game in leading the Barton bats came on a one-out single followed by Williams' two-out hit were stranded at the corners to end the game.

The Saints outhit Barton 13-5 with Ireland Caro picking up the win improving to 3-1 while Beers' 4.2 innings dropped her season record to 4-3.

Game Two Recap
Barton continued their lost opportunities in their first at-bat of the backend of the doubleheader as Smith's leadoff single followed by Cotton's third walk of the afternoon were stranded.

The Cougars would then go down in order four straight innings until breaking through in the sixth with a Cotton two-out hit.

The Saints cracked the scoreboard first in the home half of the second frame on Gabrielle Sanchez' first collegiate home run.

Morgan kept Barton in the game with six strikeouts through the first five innings but the Saints connected on their second leadoff homerun of the game as Ellie Stember helped her cause depositing a 3-2 pitch over the left field fence for her first collegiate round tripper.

Anderson's deep fly ball double to left center followed by Lara's single led off the Cougars' seventh inning sparking new life as Krol's blooped shot down the right field line for a double plated Barton's first run of the day. Stoneking then delivered the tying run in banging a deep fly off the center field fence for a double.

Stember worked into the seventh for the Saints, scattering two hits, a pair of strikeouts, and allowing just one walk until Barton broke through for the two runs in the seventh. Molly Adams took over in the circle keeping the Cougars from producing any further damage in the inning.

Morgan struck out two in sending the Saints down in order in the seventh then struck out the first and last batter of the eighth in stranding a one out single at second base.

Finishing with twelve strikeouts, Morgan walked none and scattered five hits improving to 5-2 on the year. Adams took the loss in two innings of work dropping to 4-3 on the season.