Box Score
by Kevin Buczek
LAURINBURG, N.C.-All nine Bulldog batters recorded hits and junior reliever Christian Oliver tossed nearly six innings of scoreless relief to lead the Barton College baseball team to an 11-5 Conference Carolinas victory over host St. Andrews University on Sunday afternoon.
Barton (6-15 Overall, 1-7 Conf.) was finally able to pick up a win in league play on its eighth attempt. The Bulldogs will try to string together another win when Barton hosts Bloomsburg University in a late addition to the schedule on Tuesday at 2 p.m.
Junior first baseman Phillip Williams led BC offensively with three hits and three RBI. Classmates Clay Martin and Tyler Barrington each added two hits as Barton belted out 14 total base knocks. Senior Ryan Daughtry also chipped in two hits while scoring a team-high three times from the leadoff position.
Barton bolted out to a 4-0 lead with a pair of runs in each of the first two frames. Daughtry and senior Chris Rawlings led off the contest with back-to-back walks and then immediately scored on a two-run double by Williams. Consecutive RBI singles in the second off the bats of Rawlings and Williams doubled up the Bulldogs early advantage.
The Knights (7-16, 2-7) fought back with five runs in the bottom of the third to take a 5-4 lead. Sophomore Sebastian Ray ripped a grand slam in the rally.
Barrington leveled the score at 5-up in the sixth. Barrington hit a one-out single, stole second and later scored on an error. Barton then regained the lead for good with one run in the seven on a junior Alex Brann single.
The Bulldogs pulled away with five insurance runs in the eighth that featured a two-run double by sophomore Collins Cuthrell and a one-run single by Martin.
Oliver, who suffered his first loss of the season on Saturday, quickly bounced back with 5 2/3 innings of effective relief of sophomore starter Dylan Newton. Oliver (1-1) allowed just three singles and one walks. Oliver retired 10 straight Knights at one point and had two strikeouts.
