Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 by Benny Benton
WILSON, N.C. – Making the final home pitching start of her career on Senior Day, Barton College's Liz White went out in style, tossing her third career no-hitter to blank Converse College, 3-0, in the opening game of a Conference Carolinas doubleheader.
Freshman Hannah Jones surrendered five hits to the Valkyries in the nightcap, but also kept them off the scoreboard in a 1-0 win.
The sweep helped Barton conclude its regular season with a record of 21-24 overall and 9-13 in league play. Converse, competing in its first season of softball, finished its inaugural campaign 7-33 overall and 1-21 in the conference.
Game 1 – Barton 3, Converse 0
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Senior Liz White delivers a pitch during Sunday's contest against Converse College. White tossed her third career no-hitter in the game, joining an elite group of players in NCAA Division II history to have three or more.
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White (11-12) faced just two batters over the minimum in her pitching gem. The Windsor, N.C., resident walked four batters in the contest, but two of those were erased by double plays, both started from the mound by White.
In fact, among the eight ground outs collected by Barton in the contest, White had the assist in six of them. She also struck out five batters and produced six fly outs in the 103-pitch performance.
While the Valkyries hit several balls hard, including a line drive to third off the bat of Mckayla Davis for the final out of the game, all of them were right at Barton fielders.
White previously threw no-hitters against Belmont Abbey College in her freshman year and Shaw University last season.
Entering the 2016 season, just 23 pitchers in the history of NCAA Division II had thrown at least three no-hitters in a career.
Barton provided all the offense she would need to claim the win with its first two batters of the game.
Megan Kelly opened the bottom of the first by hitting a high fly ball to the fence in center. The Converse fielder raced back to the fence in time but then lost the ball in the sun, allowing Kelly to reach third with a triple.
The next batter, Taylor Bowden, delivered a perfectly placed bunt for a single between the pitcher and third baseman, driving in Kelly with the run.
The Lady Bulldogs tacked on two more runs in the bottom of the fourth. After Jones drew a leadoff walk, Barton manufactured the run on a sacrifice bunt, a wild pitch and a sacrifice fly to right field by White. On the throw home, pinch-runner Ashley Burkett advanced to second, then scored on a double to left-center by Crystal Britton, another of the four seniors honored in the pre-game ceremony.
Also recognized for their many contributions to the program over four years were Samantha Bass and Rachel Jordan.
Converse pitcher Marissa Steadman (6-24) gave up just five hits, walked three and struck out two in the complete-game effort, but received no offensive support due to White's stellar outing.
Game 2 – Barton 1, Converse 0
The Valkyries ended any thoughts of dual no-hitters for Barton right away, as Madisson Lukens opened game two by looping an opposite-field single down the right field line for a base hit. She eventually reached third, but Jones (9-11) collected a strikeout to end the inning.
Just as it had done in game one, Barton took the lead in the bottom of the first. Kelly again produced a leadoff hit, this time an infield single to short, then stole second. Two batters later, Jones helped her own cause with a double down the left field line, driving in Kelly with what would turn out to be the only run of the game.
Barton produced just three more hits in the game off Steadman (6-25), and its best chance to score again was ruined in the third inning when Converse right fielder Shelby Bullock gunned down a runner at third base after a single by Jordan.
The Valkyries had no better luck against Jones, however, managing just two more hits until the seventh.
Still trailing by just a run in its final at-bat, Converse used a pinch-hit single to left-center by Morgan Marlow, a single through the left side by Bri Putnam and a four-pitch walk to Steadman to load the bases with two outs. However, Jones got a grounder to third base to end the game and earn her second career shutout.
In addition to giving up the five hits, Jones walked three and struck out three.
Steadman also allowed five hits, walked two and struck out five. Kelly and Jones each had two of the five hits for BC.
Barton earned the eighth and final spot for this week's Conference Carolinas Tournament in Burlington, N.C. The Lady Bulldogs will open play in the double-elimination tourney on Thursday at noon against No. 1 seed and regular-season champion Limestone College. The two teams also met last season in the first game, with the Saints edging Barton 3-2 on a run in the bottom of the seventh inning.
