Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 by Benny Benton
WILSON, N.C. – Chowan University ruined the 2016 home softball debut for Barton College on Saturday, pounding out 24 hits in sweeping the non-conference doubleheader, 12-5 and 6-3.
Barton (1-3) also hurt itself with nine errors in the two contests. Six of the miscues came in game one, leading to five unearned runs for the Hawks (2-4).
Tina White had four hits and drove in six runs for Chowan, and teammate Haley Cooper added three hits and four RBI in the victory.
Senior Samantha Bass and freshman Hannah Jones had three hits and three RBI each in a losing cause for the Lady Bulldogs.
Game 1: Chowan 12, Barton 5
The Hawks took a 1-0 lead in the top of the third on an RBI triple by Tori Cragan that scored White, who had reached base on an error.
Chowan added three more runs in the fourth on White's second home run of the year. The blast came after Barton starter Liz White (0-2) issued a two-out walk to the No. 9 hitter in the order, Rachel Clark, and then gave up a single to Katrina Simmons.
Barton loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the frame, but managed to score just one run on a Bass groundout, as Chowan pitcher Kayla Robins (1-2) drew a called third strike against Megan Kelly to leave a pair of runners stranded.
The Hawks tacked on two more runs in the top of the fifth off Barton reliever Carolina Merrill to move in front 6-1, but the Lady Bulldogs stormed back to within one with a four-run inning. Barton drew three walks and produced three hits in the frame, the big one a two-run single by Jones after cleanup hitter Kelsie Conner had been intentionally walked to load the bases.
However, Chowan produced a run to start the sixth using an error, a stolen base, a passed ball and a sacrifice fly. Kris Neal followed with a triple to right center, putting the Hawks back up by three, 8-5, and chasing Merrill. White returned to finish off the sixth and worked the seventh, where she gave up four hits and four runs, two of them unearned thanks to a pair of BC errors.
White surrendered nine hits and four earned runs in her two stints on the mound, walking five while striking out three. Merrill gave up four hits and three earned runs in her Barton debut.
Robins scattered eight hits in getting the win for Chowan, walking four and striking out six.
Game 2: Chowan 6, Barton 3
The Lady Bulldogs jumped out to the early lead in the nightcap, as White reached on a Chowan error in the first inning and scored on a triple by Kelly.
That advantage stood until the top of the third, when Chowan collected three hits off Jones (1-1) to produce three runs, two of them on a two-out, two-run single to center by Clark.
Barton fought back to tie the game at 3-all in the bottom of the third. Crystal Britton reached on a leadoff single, moved to second on a sacrifice and advanced to third on a fly ball to right. Kelly reached on a walk and stole second after Britton moved to third. Jones then singled up the middle to drive in Britton, and Bass followed with a single to center to plate Kelly with the game-tying run.
Jones, making just her second collegiate pitching start, retired six of the next Chowan batters in order, giving up just a walk in the fourth and fifth innings. However, the Hawks erupted again in the sixth, banging out four hits to score three times. White drove in the go-ahead runs with a single to center. After advancing to second on the throw home, she stole third and scored two batters later on a single by Danielle Baccus.
Chowan touched Jones for 11 hits and drew four walks while striking out three times.
Audrey Hubbard earned a win in her first decision of the year for the Hawks, scattering eight hits and giving up two earned runs while walking one and striking out three.
Barton will return to action on Sunday when it hosts Saint Augustine's University in a noon doubleheader.
