Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2
by Kevin Buczek
WILSON, N.C.-The Barton College baseball team held on for a 6-5 win in Saturday's first game but the Bulldogs were unable to win the four-game series as Kutztown took the finale 9-5 at Nixon Field.
A large crowd was present before the twin bill to watch the Barton baseball program honor former 19-year head coach Todd Wilkinson with an on-the-field ceremony and framed uniform. Wilkinson retired from coaching after the 2011 season with 496 career wins.
The Bulldogs (2-2) will next play at Newberry College on Tuesday at 3 p.m. The Golden Bears (2-2) will return to Pennsylvania and resume practice for 19 days before playing again at the Builder Invitational from Feb. 23-26.
GAME ONE: Barton 6, Kutztown 5
Sophomore transfer
Dylan Newton was within one out of posting the Bulldogs second straight shutout in his first appearance in a Royal Blue and White uniform before Kutztown erupted for five runs on a pair of homers before junior
Phillip Williams saved the 6-5 win for Barton with a game-ending strikeout.
Senior outfielder
Ryan Daughtry drilled a two-run home run to center in the bottom of the first to put the hosts ahead for good. A two-run double by classmate
Chris Rawlings down the left field line in the second doubled up the Bulldogs lead to 4-0. Junior
Zac Crumpler added Barton's fifth run with a single in the third before Rawlings added what proved to be a critical insurance run in the sixth on a sacrifice fly.
Newton recorded the first two outs of the top of the seventh before Kutztown senior preseason All-American Shayne Houck ended the shutout bid with a three-run blast to center, his second long ball of the four game set. The Bears kept clawing and after a single, senior Corey Buletza connected for a two-run homer to close the gap to one at 6-5.
Williams was called to the mound from first base in his first appearance as Barton's probable new closer. The leftie gave up an ensuing full-count single before setting down with the clutch called strikeout for his first save. Newton was still credited with the win going 6 2/3 with seven strikeouts.
Seven different Bulldogs accounted for Barton's seven hits. Kutztown had more base knocks with nine.
GAME TWO: Kutztown 9, Barton 5
The Golden Bears jumped out to a 6-0 lead with four runs in the first and two more in the third and then held off rallies by the Bulldogs to deadlock the series at two wins apiece with a 9-5 victory in the closing game.
Barton scored the next five runs including two in both the third and fifth and one in the fourth to pull within one at 6-5 but Kutztown answered with three runs in the sixth to pull away for the four-run win.
Freshman Matthew Berry led the Bulldogs going 3-for-4. Williams added a pair of hits and junior Clay Martin belted his third double of the series.
The middle third of the Bears lineup drove in six runs with each batter knocking in a pair highlighted by a junior Todd Rubendall two-run homer over the left field fence in the first.
Sophomore Mitchell Wheeler started Barton's scoring in the third with a two-run single. Junior Tyler Barrington tacked on the next Bulldog run with an RBI-groundout in the fourth before Martin inched the hosts to one run behind Kutztown with a two-run double in the fifth.
Kutztown senior starter Trent Mertz tallied the win going 4 1/3 while Barton sophomore starter Jimmie Davis was tagged with the loss.
The Bulldogs outhit the Golden Bears, 11-9, but left nine runners stranded.
