Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 by Cory Guinn
ST. AUGUSTINE, FLA. – The Saints of Flagler College twice forced an eight-run rule over the Barton College softball team, leading a sweep of the Lady Bulldogs season-opening doubleheader on Friday night in the Flagler Tournament.
The Lady Bulldogs were playing the first two games in a five-game series at Flagler Field to begin their 2015 season.
Game One: Flagler 12 Barton 4 (6 inn.)
Sophomore Megan Kelly began the 2015 season with a leadoff single on the first pitch of the game and promptly stole second base after a foul out to the catcher. However, Barton was unable to bring the runner home in a scoreless opening frame.
The game would remain scoreless until Flagler caught fire in the bottom of the third inning, scoring seven runs on five hits and taking advantage of three walks at the plate.
After putting two of the first three batters on base in the third, Flagler's Lauren Roudabush singled up the middle as Kelli Parker and Tori Volz both scored for a 2-0 lead. The next batter followed with a single of her own and after a strikeout the Saints had two runners on with two outs on the board.
A Maddy Murphy walk loaded the bases for Flagler, who quickly used a double down the right field line from Kayla Fuller to clear the bases and build the lead to a five-run advantage. After another walk by the Barton pitching staff, the Saints lead grew to 7-0 on a two-RBI single to right field from second baseman Mallory Allen before the inning came to a close on a fly ball to center field.
Barton answered in the top of the fourth inning, as junior Rachel Jordan was hit by a pitch followed by a double to left field from senior Betsy Braswell to put two runners on with no outs. Junior Liz White drove home the Lady Bulldogs' first run of the season with a sacrifice fly to left field as pinch-runner Brittany Jacobs scored from third.
Sophomore Lindsey Sharpe reached on a fielder's choice to third base, moving Braswell to third. Following a pop fly to the first baseman, Junior Samantha Bass reached first on a dropped fly ball by the left fielder to score Braswell to make the run count 7-2 in favor of Flagler.
The Lady Bulldogs added to their run total in the top of the fifth as a single from Kelly was followed by a two-run home run from the bat of sophomore Taylor Bowden over the left field fence as the Saints lead was cut to 7-4.
A two-run home run from Fuller was backed up by a solo home run from Dreya Monayarji to put Flagler ahead 9-4 in bottom of the fifth before the Saints were able to seal the victory on a one-out, two-run blast from Malloree Escue in the bottom of the sixth inning pushed the gap to eight runs, forcing the game's end due to the eight-run rule.
Bowden finished the game 1-for-3 with a home run, one run scored and two RBI as Kelly was 2-for-3 with a run scored of her own.
On the mound, junior Ashlyn Reagan took the loss after giving up seven runs on six hits, striking out five and walking three batters in three innings of work. Senior Hayley Baxley allowed five runs on five hits with one strikeout in 2.2 innings of relief.
Game Two: Flagler 8 Barton 0 (6 inn.)
The second game of the evening got off to a much slower start as Barton and Flagler combined for just three hits in the game's first three innings of play.
However, Fuller hit a two-run home run over the left line fence in the bottom of the fourth to put the Saints ahead by two runs before Escue reached on a throwing error, scoring two more runs for a 4-0 Flagler lead.
Barton's offense stalled throughout much of the game as Flagler scored four runs on five hits in the bottom of the sixth to once again put the eight-run rule into effect and seal an 8-0 victory.
White (1-for-3) and Bass (1-for-2) recorded the only hits of the game for Barton as four runners were left on base.
White also suffered the loss on the mound for the Lady Bulldogs, pitching a complete game, allowing eight runs (six earned) on 11 hits with six strikeouts as the Barton defense committed two costly errors in the contest.
The Lady Bulldogs will conclude the tournament tomorrow with three games on their schedule. Barton's first matchup will be a doubleheader against Lee University beginning at 10 a.m. followed by a single game against Valdosta State University, the 2014 national runner-up, at 4:30 p.m.
