Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 by Cory Guinn
CENTRAL, S.C. – The Barton College baseball team swept a Saturday doubleheader with Southern Wesleyan University, winning the first game 5-1 and the series finale 6-4, to secure the three-game sweep.
With the two victories, Barton (20-10, 10-5) reached the 20-win plateau for the first time since the 2009-10 season and currently sits in fourth place overall in the Conference Carolinas standings.
Game One: Barton 5, Southern Wesleyan 1 (Seven inn.)
Sophomore Trent Fennell (4-3) turned in arguably his best performance of the season in the first game of the day to earn his fourth win of the year. The right-hander logged his first career complete game, allowing just one run on eight hits, walking one and striking out five batters.
The Bulldogs scored the game's first run in the top of the third inning as junior Andrew Webster brought fellow junior Tyler Garrett home from second with an RBI single to left field.
Barton opened the game up in the fifth inning, scoring four runs on just two hits while taking advantage of two walks and a Warrior fielding error. Junior Shawn Montren drove a run in with a sacrifice fly to right before redshirt-junior Chris Davis registered three RBI with a bases-loaded double to left field.
Southern Wesleyan scored its only run in the bottom of the seventh and final inning to move the score to 5-1 in favor of the visiting team.
Davis led the offense with a 2-for-3 performance, including a double and three RBI, while Webster finished 2-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI of his own.
Game Two: Barton 6, Southern Wesleyan 4
Barton needed a come-from-behind effort in the second game of Saturday's twin bill to secure the series sweep as Southern Wesleyan went ahead 4-0 with a four-run third inning.
Senior Ben Williams put the Bulldogs on the board with a sacrifice fly in the fourth inning before fellow senior Ben Youngblood scored on a wild pitch in the fifth. Junior transfer Cole Bray drove in his first RBI of the season with a single to center field in the sixth as Barton trailed by one run with three innings left to play.
Garrett and junior Cavin Hawke had back-to-back, one-out singles in the ninth as Webster brought Garret across with his second RBI single of the day, tying the game at four runs each. Williams stepped to the plate and singled through the right side, scoring Hawke from third and giving Barton a one-run lead. Sophomore Hunter Pearre followed with a sacrifice fly to move the Barton lead to a 6-4 edge before a strikeout ended the inning.
The Warriors went down in order in the bottom of the ninth as freshman Blake Helms (1-0) secured his first career win. The left-hander allowed just one hit in two innings of relief while striking out two batters.
Junior Kerry Walker started on the mound for Barton and went six innings, allowing four runs on nine hits with five strikeouts and four walks. Freshman Ryan Pifer pitched a perfect seventh inning in his ninth appearance of the season before giving way to Helms.
Hawke registered three hits and scored two runs in the game, while Bray, Davis, Pearre and Williams had two hits apiece and combined for four total RBI.
Barton hosts Division III N.C. Wesleyan on Tuesday, March 29 at 2 p.m. before welcoming rival University of Mount Olive to Nixon Field for a three-game series over the weekend.
