Box Score by Cory Guinn
BRISTOL, TENN. – Junior Andrew Webster was 5-for-5 with nine RBI and hit for the cycle on Sunday as Barton defeated King University 19-4 in the finale of a three-game series at King Baseball Field.
Webster finished the game 5-for-5, including a grand slam and a walk, while scoring three runs and tying a school record with nine RBI. No Bulldog has hit for the cycle since Tyler Petty accomplished the feat in 2006.
Nine different Bulldogs recorded a hit and seven different Bulldogs drove in a run as BC scored 19 runs on 17 hits and drew 10 walks in the game. Freshman Ricks Dearing was 3-for-5 with two runs and an RBI, while sophomore Hunter Pearre was 2-for-4 with two walks and four runs scored. Junior Shawn Montren also had two hits in the game, including a double, with two runs scored.
Barton began the scoring early as juniors Tyler Garrett and Calvin Hawke each brought a run home in the top of the second before King scored a run of its own in the bottom of the frame as BC led 2-1 early on.
Dearing drove in a run in the third with an RBI single to the pitcher before the Bulldogs scored five runs on just three hits in the fourth inning of play. Senior Ben Youngblood scored from third on a throwing error by the Tornado and Andrew Webster drew a bases loaded walk before junior Jacob Willis and Blake Spangenberg recorded back-to-back RBIs of their own. Webster scored from third on a wild pitch to put BC ahead 8-1.
An RBI-double from Webster added another run to the BC total before King got a run back in the bottom of the fifth. In the top of the seventh, Webster cleared the bases and drove in three runs with an RBI-triple to left center field as Barton held a 12-2 after seven innings of play.
The Bulldogs erupted for seven runs on just four hits in the eighth inning, highlighted by a grand slam from Webster that completed his cycle performance. Garrett, Hawke and senior Nathan Boykin also recorded an RBI in the inning. King scored two runs in the bottom of the eight for a 19-4 final score.
Junior Kerry Walker (3-0) earned the victory after allowing two runs (one earned) on seven hits with four strikeouts in his third start of the year. Fellow junior Justin Evans allowed two runs on four hits with four strikeouts in two innings of relief, while freshman Ryan Pifer allowed just one hit with one strikeout in a scoreless ninth inning.
Barton returns to the diamond on Tuesday, March 1 against UNC Pembroke at Nixon Field. First pitch I scheduled for 2 p.m.
