Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 by Cory Guinn
BURLINGTON, N.C. – The Barton College fastpitch softball team was eliminated from postseason play following a 3-2 loss to No. 1 seed Limestone College and a 3-0 loss to No. 3 seed Pfeiffer University in the Conference Carolinas Tournament on Friday afternoon at Springwood Park.
The No. 8 seeded Lady Bulldogs end the 2015 season with a 17-25 overall record and a 3-13 mark in conference play.
Game One: No. 1 Limestone 3 No. 8 Barton 2
Barton and Limestone (25-12) each went scoreless over the first two innings of play before the Lady Bulldogs got on the scoreboard with two runs in the top of the third inning.
Freshman Kaitlin Staley led off the third inning with a single and was advanced to second on a sacrifice from sophomore Taylor Bowden. Back-to-back singles from sophomores Megan Kelly and Lindsey Sharpe loaded the bases with just one out as junior Rachel Jordan drove in a run with an RBI single to second base. Senior Betsy Braswell also drove in a run, reaching on a fielder's choice, to put Barton ahead 2-0 early on.
Junior Liz White continued to hold the Limestone offense at bay through the next three innings until the Saints were able to score two runs on a Barton fielding error in the bottom of the sixth and tie the game at twos runs apiece.
The Lady Bulldogs went down in order to begin the seventh inning as Limestone used an RBI double with two outs to bring the winning run across the plate and earn the 3-2 victory.
White went the distance, allowing three runs (two earned) on just four hits with seven strikeouts.
Seven different Lady Bulldogs contributed a hit in the game, as Braswell recorded an RBI and her 11th double of the season and Jordan notched her 15th RBI in the contest.
Game Two: No. 3 Pfeiffer 3 No. 8 Barton 0
Facing possible elimination, the Lady Bulldogs were matched up with the Falcons of third-seeded Pfeiffer University (25-22).
White (11-13) began game two on the mound for Barton and held the Falcons scoreless over the games first four innings of play. However, Pfeiffer was able to score one run in the fifth and two more in the sixth for a late 3-o advantage.
Barton was able to advance a runner into scoring position with two out in the top of the seventh but could not bring her around to score.
The right-handed White allowed three runs on eight hits with two strikeouts in the loss, while senior Hayley Baxley allowed just two hits with one strikeout in an inning of relief in her final game in the Royal Blue and White.
The Lady Bulldogs were held to five hits in game two, all singles, as Bowden, Braswell, Kelly, White and junior Crystal Britton each reached base.
