Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 by Benny Benton
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Lindsey Sharpe's two-out, two-run single capped a three-run seventh inning as Barton College rallied to edge host Winston-Salem State University, 3-2, in the second half of a non-conference doubleheader Friday at Paul Cloud Field.
The comeback completed a sweep of the two games for the Lady Bulldogs, which won the opener 3-1 behind a complete-game four-hit pitching performance from Ashlyn Reagan.
Barton improved to 17-23 with the wins, while the Lady Rams fell to 11-19 on the season.
Game 2: Barton 3, Winston-Salem State 2
Crystal Britton started Barton's final-inning rally with a leadoff walk, and Liz White followed with a single to right. Samantha Bass put down a successful sacrifice bunt to move both runners into scoring position, giving the Lady Bulldogs two shots at a hit that would possibly tie the game.
Winston-Salem State pitcher Chyna Riley (1-8) got a lineout for the second out of the inning, but then walked Kristin Moore to load the bases and issued another free pass to Megan Kelly to force in a run.
Sharpe then hit a flair to left field that fell between the shortstop and the outfielder, scoring pinch-runner Brittany Jacobs with the tying run and White with the go-ahead run.
The Lady Rams had one final opportunity to tie in the bottom of the seventh after Monet Daly hit a two-out double to center, but White struck out the next batter to end the game. The Barton junior and reigning Conference Carolinas Pitcher of the Week scattered nine hits and two walks while striking out nine to improve to 11-11 on the year.
Winston-Salem State had scored both of its runs in the fourth inning on three hits, including an RBI single down the left field line by Katrina Bartlett and an RBI infield single to short by Kiah Ruffin.
The Lady Rams threatened again in the fifth with three consecutive two-out hits, but White got a foul-out to left field to end the inning and keep the score at 2-0.
Barton managed just four hits over the first six innings off Riley, who finished the contest with six hits and four walks allowed. Before the seventh, the Lady Bulldogs had their best chance to score in the second inning after getting a pair of runners into scoring position with two outs, but Riley got a grounder to end the inning.
Game 1: Barton 3, Winston-Salem State 1
Kelly gave the Lady Bulldogs a 1-0 lead on the first at-bat of the game when she ripped her third home run of the year over the fence in left, and Reagan made it stand with a strong performance in the circle.
Reagan (3-12) gave up a one-out single in the bottom of the first, then didn't allow another hit until the fifth inning. She was challenged after Bartlett and Jada Johnson collected WSSU's other two hits in the contest in the seventh, and gave up an unearned run on an RBI groundout following a passed ball. But the junior used a groundout to second to end the game and record her second win of the week.
After hitting the homer in the first, Kelly singled in the third, moved to second on an error by the first baseman handling a pickoff throw from the catcher and scored on an RBI single back up the middle by Rachel Jordan.
The Lady Bulldogs tacked on a third run in the top of the sixth on doubles by Betsy Braswell and White.
Winston-Salem State pitcher Mercedes Hargett (7-10), who had beaten the leader of Barton's conference, Limestone College, in her last outing 10 days ago, gave up seven hits, two earned runs and two walks while striking out eight. The strikeouts gave her 106 for the season, which leads the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association.
Barton returns home for its final regular-season games of the year on Sunday, when the Lady Bulldogs will host Emmanuel College in a 2 p.m. doubleheader that will be preceded by Senior Day recognitions.
Barton hopes to collect enough wins to secure the final Conference Carolinas Tournament berth. The Lady Bulldogs are two wins ahead of Lees-McRae College, which is scheduled to host North Greenville University on Saturday.
