Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 by Cory Guinn
CENTRAL, S.C. – The Barton College fastpitch softball team opened Conference Carolinas play with a doubleheader against Southern Wesleyan University on Saturday afternoon. The Warriors earned a 6-5 victory in game one and an 11-3 in just five innings in the second game.
After having been away from competition for almost a month, Barton's record fell to 2-7 overall and 0-2 in conference, while Southern Wesleyan improved to 9-7 and 2-0 in league play.
Game One: Southern Wesleyan 6 Barton 5
The Lady Bulldog bats showed no rust in the first game of the day as Barton took an early 1-0 lead in the top of the first as sophomore Megan Kelly scored on a sacrifice bunt by junior Rachel Jordan. Southern Wesleyan responded with a run of its own in the bottom half of the inning for a 1-1 tie.
An RBI-double by Kelly in the second inning, followed by a wild pitch from the Warrior pitcher that allowed Jordan to score from third gave Barton a 3-1 lead after three innings of play.
Barton began the fourth inning of play by loading the bases with one out before Jordan recorded an RBI by forcing a walk that was quickly followed by an RBI-single from senior Betsy Braswell up the middle to extend the Lady Bulldog lead to 5-1.
However, Southern Wesleyan responded with two runs of their own in the bottom of the fourth, including a solo home run from junior Allison Barbee before a two-run home run from junior Taylor Fox tied the game at five runs apiece after five innings.
Barbee began the sixth inning with a double and was later brought around to score on Fox's RBI-single to clinch the one-run win for the Warriors.
Junior Liz White (2-3) took the loss after allowing six runs on 10 hits with five strikeouts in six innings on the mound.
Braswell finished the game 3-for-3 with an RBI, while Kelly was 2-for-4 with a double, a walk, an RBI and two runs scored.
Game Two: Southern Wesleyan 11 Barton 3 (Five inn.)
In the second game of the day, Barton once again took an early lead with a three-run second inning. After Braswell reached on a fielding error by the Southern Welseyan shortstop, Barton had runners on first and third following a one-out single from White.
Braswell was then thrown out at home when junior Crystal Britton reached on a fielder's choice as junior Ashlyn Reagan doubled to left center to bring across the first run of the game. Freshman Brittany Jacobs drove in two runs of her own with a double to right center in the next at-bat for a 3-0 Barton lead.
The Warrior bats came alive in the bottom of the third, scoring seven runs on six hits and taking advantage of a Barton defensive error. Southern Wesleyan used four RBI-singles and an RBI-double to take a 7-3 lead.
Southern Wesleyan scored three more runs in the bottom of the fourth on back-to-back RBI singles and put the game away with an RBI-single from sophomore Sara Sweatt in the bottom of the fifth for the 11-3 win and the two-game sweep.
Reagan (0-4) was hit with the loss after allowing seven runs on seven hits with a strikeout, while freshman Amber Baker allowed four runs on six hits in 1.2 innings of relief.
Jacobs was 1-for-2 at the plate in game two with a double and two RBI, while Reagan was 1-for-1 with a double and an RBI.
Barton will return to action on Monday, March 9 when they travel to Olsen Park in Wilimington, N.C. for two neutral site games. The Lady Bulldogs will face Bowie State at 3 p.m. in game one and take on Saint Augustine's at 5 p.m. in the final game of the day.
