Box Score by Cory Guinn
WILSON, N.C. – Junior Kerry Walker threw his second complete game of the season in leading the Barton College baseball team to a 5-0 win over Limestone College on Sunday afternoon at Nixon Field.
Walker (4-0) allowed just seven hits and struck out six batters without recording a walk as the Bulldogs won their second straight Conference Carolinas weekend series to begin the season. It was the right-hander's second complete game of the season and Barton's second shutout.
BC improved to 13-3 overall and 4-2 in league play, while the Saints fell to 10-13 overall with a 1-5 mark against other conference teams.
The Bulldogs got on the board early with two runs on just one hits in the bottom of the second inning. Freshman Ricks Dearing led off the inning with a walk and senior Ben Youngblood was hit by a pitch as each runner later advanced on a wild pitch. Junior Calvin Hawke recorded an RBI with a groundout to the shortstop for BC's first run. Youngblood scored on another wild pitch from Limestone starter Preston Kirk to put the Bulldogs ahead 2-0.
Follow two scoreless innings, Barton added to its run total in the fifth inning with an RBI single from Dearing and a two-RBI double from Hawke to give Walker a five-run lead to work with.
Just two Limestone batters reached base over the final three innings as Walker finished the game with 102 total pitches, including 74 strikes.
Dearing was 2-for-3 at the plate with a walk, an RBI and two runs scored, while Hawke finished the game 1-for-4 with a double and three RB. Youngblood scored two runs in the win as junior Andrew Webster hit a double down the right field line in the first inning to extend his hitting streak to 11 games.
Barton hosts Clarion University tomorrow at 1 p.m. in a single game at Nixon Field before hosting Kutztown University in a three-game series on Tuesday and Wednesday.
