Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2
by Kevin Buczek
WILSON, N.C.-Senior Elizabeth Webb collected five hits and drove in four runs to lead the Barton College softball team to a doubleheader split against Conference Carolinas foe Lees-McRae College on Saturday afternoon at Jeffries Field.
The Bobcats (7-26 Overall, 2-4 Conf.) rallied to win the first game 7-6 before the Lady Bulldogs (7-19, 4-10) took the second game 5-3.
Webb went 5-for-8 in the twin bill including a pair of doubles and a stolen base. Freshman Liz White led all Barton players with six total hits while classmate Crystal Britton added four base knocks. Webb (.301) and Britton (.346) have both hit safely in five consecutive games while White (.378) has a four-game hit streak.
Barton next entertains Limestone College in a rescheduled Conference Carolinas doubleheader for Thursday at 2 p.m. With the schedule change, the Bulldogs have also postponed is non-conference set against UNC Pembroke that was scheduled for Wednesday (games have not been rescheduled yet).
GAME ONE: Lees-McRae 7, Barton 6
The Bobcats scored seven unearned runs on five Barton errors to squeak out a sloppy opening game win. Lees-McRae trailed 6-4 before scoring its last three unearned runs in the sixth to rally for the victory.
The visitors got on the board first with an unearned run in the top of third before the Lady Bulldogs race in front for the first time with a pair of runs in the home half on a two-run single by Webb. LMC tacked on three more unearned runs in the fourth to regain a 4-2 edge but Barton answered again with four more runs in the bottom of the fourth to take its final advantage. Sophomore Emily Leagon tied the score with a two-run double to the left-center field fence. Webb then put the Lady Bulldogs ahead with a double before junior Autumn Pittman drove Webb in for BC's last run with a single.
Barton's fifth error in the sixth led to the Bobcats last three unearned runs to leapfrog head.
The Lady Bulldogs threatened in the sixth and seventh but reliever Hollie Crickenberger was able to wiggle out of each jam to earn the pitching win.
Barton outhit Lees-McRae 12-8 with Webb going 3-for-4 with three RBI. White also collected three hits while senior Amanda Schatz was 2-for-2 with two walks.
GAME TWO: Barton 5, Lees-McRae 3
The host Bulldogs broke a 2-2 tie in the fourth with three runs and White was able to preserve the lead from the pitcher's circle as Barton took the nightcap by two runs.
Barton's big inning featured consecutive run-producing singles off the bats of Britton and Webb. Schatz later drew a bases loaded walk for the easy RBI.
Lees-McRae opened up the scoring with its eighth unearned run of the afternoon in the top of the first. An RBI-single by senior Rebecka Morgan knotted up the score before the Bobcats retook the one-run lead when Amanda Decker drilled a long home run over the center field fence to leadoff the second.
Trailing 2-1, White helped herself out with a leadoff double in the third and scoring from second on a sac bunt by Schatz and a throwing error by the LMC third baseman that tied the contest up before Barton's three-run fourth.
Britton and White accounted for over half of the Lady Bulldogs 11 hits with three apiece. Webb added a pair of base knocks.
White (3-7) hurled her fifth complete game allowing just two earned runs on 10 hits over seven innings. White had nine strikeouts, which was just two shy of her season most.
