Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 by Cory Guinn
WILSON, N.C. – The Barton College baseball team opened its three-game series against Kutztown University with consecutive one-run losses as the Golden Bears earned a 6-5 victory in game on and a 4-3 victory in game two at Nixon Field.
Barton's overall record fell to 9-10 on the season as Kutztown improved to 7-0 with the sweep.
Game One: Kutztown 6 Barton 5
Kutztown was on the board early and often, scoring one run in both the second and third innings of play before a two-run sixth gave the Golden Bears a 4-0 lead in the game.
Barton's offense would finally break through in the bottom of the fourth inning, scoring four runs on five hits to tie the game.
Following a leadoff single from sophomore Andrew Webster to begin the inning, senior Avery Harper brought the first run home with an RBI-double to right center field after a nine-pitch at-bat. Junior Nick McKinney followed with a single as sophomore Shawn Montren drove Harper across the plate from second with an RBI-single to centerfield.
Junior Ben Williams then reached first after being hit by a pitch to load the bases with no outs in the inning as senior Spiers Miller added to his RBI total with a double to left field, driving home two runs and tying the game at four runs apiece.
After a scoreless seventh, Kutztown took a 5-4 lead when senior Brandon Hickey scored on a throwing error by Barton's catcher in the eighth inning. The Bulldogs tied the game at 5-5 in the bottom of the inning when pinch-runner Michael DelSardo scored from third on a throwing error by the Kutztown pitcher.
The first batter of the ninth inning for Kutztown walked and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt before being driven home on a two-out double to left field by junior Matthew Armour for a one-run lead that the Golden Bears would hold onto through the final half inning.
Junior Ricky Jernigan went 5.2 innings in his first start of the season, allowing four runs (three earned) on nine hits with three strikeouts.
Freshman left-hander Andrew Davis (0-1) suffered the loss after giving up two runs (one earned) on just one hit with two walks and three strikeouts, while fellow freshman Paschal Ammons pitched the final 1/3 of an inning, allowing one hit with a strikeout.
Sophomore Tyler Garrett was 2-for-5 in the game from the leadoff spot, stealing three bases to bring his season total to a team-high nine swipes thus far. Harper and Montren each finished with identical 2-for-5 performances in the game with a double, a run scored and an RBI.
Game Two: Kutztown 4 Barton 3 (Seven inn.)
The offensive production carried over early in the second game of the day for both teams as Kutztown scored three runs in the top of the first inning, highlighted by back-to-back RBI singles from Armour and senior Brandon Martinez.
Montren drove across Barton's first run of the game in the bottom of the first with an RBI-single to the shortstop to score Garrett from third, before an RBI-double to left field by DelSardo in the second made the score 3-2 in favor of Kutztown after two innings of play.
The Golden Bears would go ahead 4-2 in the top of the fourth on a solo homerun from senior Drew DeShong before Montren answered with a solo shot of his own to left enter in the sixth inning.
Kutztown's Dave King would go on to earn his third save of the season with a perfect seventh inning of work.
Freshman Trent Fennell (0-2) took the loss after giving up four runs on four hits with three strikeouts in four innings of work. Sophomore Kerry Walker pitched two innings of scoreless relief, allowing just two hits with a strikeout, while junior Seth Breasseale pitched a perfect inning of relief in his fourth appearance of the season.
Garrett totaled two more hits on the day with a 2-for-3 performance and a run scored, while Montren was also 2-for-3 with his first home run of the season, a run scored and two RBI.
Barton and Kutztown will conclude the three-game series tomorrow, March 11 with a game scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. at Nixon Field.
