Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 by Cory Guinn
FRANKLIN SPRINGS, GA – The Barton College baseball team returned to its winning ways on Saturday with two, four-run victories over provisional Conference Carolinas member Emmanuel College at Tommy Carey Baseball Field.
Barton moved its overall record to 16-23 with a 10-12 mark in league play as the Bulldogs continue to stay alive in the hunt for a postseason berth. Emmanuel's record fell to 5-29 overall and 3-20 against conference competition.
Game one: Barton 9 Emmanuel 5
Senior left-hander Kyle Rufer turned in one of his best performances of the season, allowing just three runs on five hits with four strikeouts in his ninth start, while sophomore Kerry Walker (3-2) picked up the win after allowing just two runs (one earned) on one hit with a strikeout in 1.2 innings of relief.
Freshman Andrew Davis pitched one inning of hitless relief, striking out one batter, as senior Brandon Warren allowed one hit with three strikeouts in the final inning of the game for Barton.
After Emmanuel scored the game's first run in the opening inning of play, Barton took a 2-1 lead in the second as sophomores Shawn Montren and Tyler Garrett each drove in a run.
The Bulldogs added another run in the fourth on an RBI single from senior Spiers Miller and scored again in the fifth inning with a Blake Spangenberg RBI single to build a 4-1 lead before the Lions scored in the bottom of the fifth to cut the lead to a two-run advantage.
Emmanuel scored one run in the sixth inning of play to cut the Barton lead to one run and scoring twice in the seventh to take a 5-4 lead with just two innings remaining.
However, in the top of the eighth, senior Mitchell Wheeler and sophomore Calvin Hawke each reached base with one out to spark a Barton rally. Following the second out of the inning, Miller sent a long ball over the fence to score three runs and give the Bulldogs a 7-5 edge.
Back-to-back RBI singles in the top of the ninth from Hawke and Garrett put Barton ahead 9-5 as Warren struck out the final three batters of the game to give BC a much-needed conference victory on the road.
Miller was 2-for-6 at the plate with a run scored, four RBI and his team-leading sixth home run of the season. Wheeler turned in a 4-for-5 performance with three runs scored, as Montren was 2-for-4 with a double, two runs scored and an RBI. Garrett (2), Spangenberg and Hawke combined for four total RBI in the game.
Game two: Barton 6 Emmanuel 2 (Seven inn.)
The second game of the afternoon saw Barton senior Zach Breen turn in a gem on the mound in his 10th start of the season. Breen (4-2) threw his third complete game of 2015, allowing just two runs on seven hits and matching is career-high with 10 strikeouts compared to just two walks.
The Lions scored first once again, this time a solo home run from Elliot Beard in the third inning, for a 1-0 lead.
Barton tied the game in the fourth as sophomore Jacob Willis led off the inning with a solo home run before the Bulldogs took a 2-1 lead on an RBI single from Garrett in the fifth inning of play.
Emmanuel quickly tied the game at 2-2 in the bottom of the inning until an RBI single from redshirt-junior Matthew Berry put Barton ahead for good in the top of the sixth inning. In the top of the seventh, sophomore Andrew Webster hit a three-run home run to clear the bases and give the Bulldogs a 6-2 lead that would stand through the final half inning of play.
Barton totaled 10 hits in the seven-inning affair, led by Webster who finished the game 2-for-3 with a run scored and three RBI, including his fifth home run of the year. Willis was also 2-for-3 in the game with two runs scored and an RBI, as Garrett and Berry each drove in a run of their own.
The Bulldogs and Lions will conclude the three-game series tomorrow with a single game beginning at 1 p.m.
