Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 by Benny Benton
BELMONT, N.C. – The Barton College fastpitch team is still searching for its first league win after losing a pair of Conference Carolinas games at Belmont Abbey College on Wednesday by identical 5-3 margins
The losses dropped the Lady Bulldogs to 0-6 in the league and 3-13 overall. The wins lifted the Crusaders to 3-3 in conference and 6-13 overall.
Megan Kelly had three hits and Taylor Bowden drove in three runs in the doubleheader for Barton. Crystal Britton added two hits and scored twice in a losing cause.
The Crusaders produced 19 hits and drew eight walks in the two contests. Nicole Stovall went 4-for-5 with a run scored and three RBI to pace Belmont Abbey.
Game 1: Belmont Abbey 5, Barton 3
In the first contest, the Crusaders jumped out to a quick 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first off Barton starter Ashlyn Reagan (0-7). Reagan issued consecutive one-out walks and gave up an RBI single to Sloane McPeak before exiting the game after just one-third of an inning. Liz White retired the first batter she faced on a fielder's choice, but then issued a walk and a two-run single up the middle to Stovall.
Belmont Abbey extended its advantage to 5-0 in the fourth inning following consecutive errors by Barton on sacrifice bunt attempts. The second of those miscues scored Brooke Pegram, who had led off the inning with a single. Anna Mixa followed with a single to left, driving in the runner who had reached base on the first error.
Two Britton singles were the only offense for Barton through the first four innings, but Belmont Abbey starter Samantha Jacobs (2-6) helped out the Lady Bulldogs in the fifth by hitting one batter and walking two more to load the bases. A third walk in the inning issued to Bowden forced in Kelly with BC's first run, and a single to left center by Betsy Braswell drove in Rachel Jordan with a second run.
Barton had a chance to rally in the sixth after jumping on Belmont Abbey reliever Jena Reisnauer. White led off the frame with a double, moved to third on a single by Kelly and scored on a single by freshman Kaitlin Staley, which came in her first collegiate at-bat.
After a single by Jordan two batters later loaded the bases for the Lady Bulldogs, the Crusaders brought Jacobs back to the mound, and she induced consecutive pop-ups to end the threat. Jacobs allowed three hits over 6 2/3 total innings of work, walked three and struck out one.
White was charged with eight hits and two runs, one earned, over 5 2/3 innings of relief. She walked three and struck out one.
Game 2: Belmont Abbey 5, Barton 3
The Lady Bulldogs got on the board first in the second contest, as Britton drew a leadoff walk, advanced to third on a double by Bowden and scored on a sacrifice fly by Braswell.
The Crusaders answered in the bottom of the first after Alexis Pereiro drew a one-out walk, moved to third on an infield single to short by McPeak and scored on a single back to the mound by Nikki Faust.
Belmont Abbey took a 3-1 lead in the bottom of the second on RBI singles by Mackenzie Dziendziel and Mixa, the second run scoring after Barton had extended the inning with a two-out throwing error.
Barton got one of those runs back in the top of the third when Britton went all the way to third base on a throwing error by the Crusaders and came home on a sacrifice fly by Bowden.
However, Belmont Abbey pulled away to a 5-2 advantage with two more runs in the bottom of the third, the first on a wild pitch and the second on an RBI single by Stovall that marked the end of the day for Barton's starter, Reagan (0-8).
White tossed 3 2/3 innings of scoreless relief for the Lady Bulldogs, giving up three hits and walking one while striking out three.
Barton received a two-out RBI double from Bowden in the seventh and had the bases loaded after an intentional walk to Braswell, but Faust recorded her second strikeout of the game to end the contest and finish off her complete-game victory. Faust (1-3) allowed five hits and one earned run while walking two.
The games were Barton's sixth and seventh over the past three days. A doubleheader previously scheduled for Thursday in Raleigh against Shaw University has been postponed again until a later date, giving the Lady Bulldogs a much-needed day of rest before they visit Virginia State University on Friday for a 2 p.m. doubleheader.
