Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 by Benny Benton
WILSON, N.C. – Barton College pitcher Liz White threw a sparkling four-hit shutout in the opener and was backed by the Lady Bulldogs' most run support in nearly two seasons in the nightcap as BC swept a non-conference softball doubleheader at Coker College on Saturday, 3-0 and 12-4.
The Lady Bulldogs pounded out 17 hits in game two. Taylor Bowden, Rachel Jordan and Samantha Bass had three hits each, with Bass driving in three runs. Megan Kelly had two hits in each game and drove in a pair of runners in the nightcap.
The 12 runs scored in the second contest were the most for Barton in a game since late in the 2013 season.
With the wins, the Lady Bulldogs improved to 2-5 on the year. The losses dropped the Cobras to 3-4.
Game 1: Barton 3, Coker 0
White, now 2-2 on the year after earning the win in both games, gave up just two hits over the first six innings of the opener. The junior from Windsor, N.C., issued two of her three walks in the first inning, but escaped after getting a double-play grounder off the bat of Ashlee Ellen.
Coker starter Tabitha Allen (1-2) started strong as well, retiring the first 10 batters in row – six of them by strikeout – before a one-out single by Bowden in the fourth broke up the perfect game.
The Lady Bulldogs didn't seriously threaten until the fifth, when singles by White and Kristin Moore put a runner into scoring position with two outs, but Allen got a grounder to third to end the inning.
Barton finally broke through in the sixth after Kelly doubled to lead off the inning. Bowden moved her to third with a sacrifice bunt, and she scored on an error two batters later.
The Lady Bulldogs tacked on two more insurance runs in the seventh. Crystal Britton led off with a single and Bass was hit by a pitch. Britton was forced out at third base for the first out of the inning, but Lindsey Sharpe followed with a single to center to drive in pinch-runner Sydney Burton. Kelly singled to load the bases, and two batters later, Betsy Braswell delivered an infield single to drive in a run and put Barton up 3-0.
White surrendered a leadoff single to Ellen and a two-out single to Katelyn Szupello in the bottom of the seventh, but got a grounder to short to preserve the shutout. White struck out six in the contest.
Game 2: Barton 12, Coker 4 (6 inn.)
A one-out double to left by Bowden and a two-out RBI single by Jordan off Coker starter Carley Bailey (0-1) gave the Lady Bulldogs a quick 1-0 lead in the first.
Barton chased Bailey and broke the game open with a seven-run third inning that featured six hits, including an RBI single by White, an RBI double by Bass and a two-run triple by Kelly. The Lady Bulldogs scored three more runs on wild pitches from Bailey and freshman reliever Brittany Long.
BC tacked on two more runs in the fourth on a two-run double by Bass and single runs in the fifth and sixth innings.
White, meanwhile, scattered seven hits over four innings in the nightcap, walking two and striking out three. She gave up three runs, all coming in the third inning on doubles by Hannah Price and Tayler Barcomb.
Senior Hayley Baxley worked the final two innings for the Lady Bulldogs, surrendering a run on a homer by Ellen. She allowed just one other hit, walked one and struck out one.
Barton's doubleheader with Shaw University scheduled for Sunday was postponed due to the frigid weather conditions and rescheduled for March 1. The Lady Bulldogs are now slated to play in the Shaw Challenge beginning Friday in Raleigh. BC will face Tiffin University and Lock Haven University on the first day of the three-day tournament.
