Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 by Benny Benton
PEMBROKE, N.C. – Barton College senior Amber Weaver clubbed a three-run homer to give the Lady Bulldogs a 3-2 lead midway through their softball season-opener Friday afternoon, but host UNC Pembroke broke a 5-all tie with a nine-run sixth inning to finish off a 14-5 victory in the UNCP Invitational.
In Barton's second game of the tournament, Francis Marion University senior pitcher Taylor Luff threw her second no-hitter of the week, striking out 14 Lady Bulldogs, in a 10-0 Lady Patriots victory.
Junior catcher Betsy Braswell, who had a double and scored two of Barton's five runs in the opening contest, was Barton's lone representative on the all-tournament team.
GAME ONE: UNC Pembroke 14, Barton 5 (6 inn.)
Barton allowed UNC Pembroke leadoff batters to reach base in five of the six innings played, and the Lady Braves (4-2) took advantage by scoring that runner in four of the five cases.
UNC Pembroke manufactured a run in the bottom of the first inning, using a leadoff walk by Whitney Jackson, a sacrifice bunt by Kay Wilson and a two-out double by Brea Hartley off Barton starter Liz White (0-1) to jump on the scoreboard first.
The Lady Braves added another run in the bottom of the third, ironically the only inning in the game in which Barton did not allow the leadoff runner to reach base. Hartley drew a one-out walk and moved to second on Caitlin Steel's single down the left field line. Megan Hillard moved both runners over with a groundout to second, and Hartley scored on a single through the left side by Shelby Holland.
White limited the damage to one run, getting a groundout to end the inning, and Barton put her back into the lead with its three-run fourth inning. Alex Baylis led off the frame with a walk, and Braswell followed with her double to left. One out later, Weaver took a 1-1 pitch from UNCP starter Natalie Klemann over the fence in left, putting the Lady Bulldogs in the lead, 3-2.
However, the advantage did not last long, as the Lady Braves struck right back. A single by the No. 9 hitter in the order, Morgan Davis, and an infield single one out later by Wilson, who quickly stole second, put a pair of runners into scoring position. Davis came home on a sacrifice fly by Taylor Cloninger, and Wilson brought in the other run when Steel singled following a walk to Hartley.
White again avoided further damage, stranding a pair of runners in scoring position with a pop-up to end the inning off the bat of Hillard.
UNCP used two hits and a Barton throwing error to score a single run in the bottom of the fifth, extending its lead to 5-3.
The Lady Bulldogs fought back to tie the game in the top of the sixth off reliever Selena Ashley (3-0). Braswell reached on an error to lead off the inning, and Rachel Jordan followed with a single to left center. Weaver then put down a sacrifice, moving both runners into scoring position. It paid off when Kelsie Conner followed with a single through the left side, driving in Braswell, and Kendra Kassonie produced a two-out single to left center, bringing home Jordan to tie the game at 5-all.
However, the Lady Braves batted around in the bottom of the sixth. UNC Pembroke used four singles and two errors by the Lady Bulldogs to score five times and load the bases for Hartley, who finished off the game with a grand slam that gave UNCP the win by the eight-run rule.
Hartley, a Daktronics All-American last season after hitting .407 with 10 homers and 40 RBI, went 3-for-3 with 5 RBI in the game and walked in her other two at-bats. Cloninger and Holland each drove in two runs.
Barton had six players with one hit each.
GAME TWO: Francis Marion 10, Barton 0 (5 inn.)
The Lady Bulldogs went from an All-American hitter in game one to a pitcher in game two who has begun 2014 on her way to the same honor.
Francis Marion's senior hurler, Luff, opened the season Feb. 4 with a perfect game against Belmont Abbey College. Luff (3-0) struck out the first nine batters in that contest and finished the game with 12.
In the opening round of the UNCP Invitational on Thursday, Luff tossed a three-hit shutout against the nation's second-ranked team, Kutztown University, last year's runner-up for the NCAA Division II national title. Luff struck out 14 in that contest, one short of her career high.
So Barton had good company in not being able to touch the ball against Luff. The right-hander retired the first nine Barton batters in a row, seven by strikeout.
The perfect game ended when Megan Kelly led off the fourth for the Lady Bulldogs by reaching base on a wild-pitch third strike. After another Barton strikeout, Kelly stole second and Braswell drew a walk. The Lady Bulldogs loaded the bases when Conner also walked, but Luff collected another strikeout to end the inning.
Francis Marion (4-2) scored all the runs it would need to win the game in the second inning when it scored six times on six hits and an error off Barton starter Ashlyn Reagan (0-1). The big hit came on a bases-loaded one-out triple off the bat of Kristie Hanewinckel.
The Lady Patriots finished off the game by the eight-run rule in the fifth, adding four more unearned runs thanks to a pair of Barton miscues.
Hanewinckel had two hits and four RBI in the contest, while Mikala Barnhart went 2-for-3 with two runs driven in.
Barton is scheduled to play its home opener on Thursday, Feb. 13, with a doubleheader at Jeffries Field against Chowan University.
