Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 by Benny Benton
TIGERVILLE, S.C. – The Barton College softball team suffered a pair of Conference Carolinas road losses on Tuesday, falling to North Greenville University 3-0 and 7-1 at Pepsi Field.
North Greenville's pitcher in the opening contest, Cassie Carpenter, limited the Lady Bulldogs to just one hit in the opening contest. Barton managed seven hits in the nightcap, the same number as the Crusaders, but could not convert the opportunities into runs.
With the losses, Barton fell to 3-11 overall and 0-4 in league play. North Greenville improved to 8-6 overall and 2-0 in the conference.
Taylor Bowden accounted for BC's lone hit in the first contest, a two-out double down the left field line in the top of the third inning. Ashlyn Reagan, who had walked to lead off the frame, moved to third on the hit, but Carpenter stranded the two runners in scoring position by getting a pop-up to short to end the inning.
Carpenter (4-3) did not allow another Lady Bulldog to reach second base in the game. The senior walked four in the contest and struck out seven.
Reagan, Barton's starter, took a no-hitter into the fifth inning, and quickly retired the first two batters of the inning. However, a two-out walk kept the inning alive for NGU, and singles by Carpenter and Jordan Farmer loaded the bases.
Tori Freedman followed with the big hit of the game, a single back up the middle to drive in two runs and end an otherwise strong outing for Reagan (0-6).
Hayley Baxley relieved Reagan and was greeted with a single off the bat of pinch-hitter Morgan Herlong, driving in the third run of the inning.
In the second contest, the Crusaders quickly jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first off Barton starter Liz White (2-5). A two-out walk was followed by an RBI double from Farmer and an RBI single from Shayna Finley.
Barton took advantage of three NGU errors in the top of the second to score a run on an RBI single by Baxley. However, the Crusaders got the run back in the bottom of the inning after Taylor Wilson walked to lead off the frame and later scored on a double steal.
North Greenville put the game out of reach in the fourth inning, when it produced three hits and three runs, two of them on a single to right by Carpenter. The Crusaders tacked on a final run in the sixth on a sacrifice fly that plated Sarah Armstrong, who had reached base on a walk.
White issued six free passes in addition to the seven hits allowed. She also struck out six in the complete-game effort. Of the seven runs for NGU, only four were earned.
Baxley and Betsy Braswell each had two hits for Barton, while Farmer and Reilly each collected a pair for the Crusaders.
The Lady Bulldogs were on the second stop of a five-day, 11-game road marathon. The journey continues Wednesday with a conference doubleheader at Belmont Abbey College. The start time for game one of that matchup has been moved up to 1 p.m.
