Box Score by Benny Benton
BURLINGTON, N.C. – The Barton College softball team suffered through a devastating case of déjà vu on Thursday in the first round of the 2016 Conference Carolinas Softball Tournament.
For the second straight year, the eight-seeded Lady Bulldogs took a 2-0 lead on No. 1 Limestone College, only to see the Saints tie the game at 2-all with an unearned run in the sixth and win it 3-2 with a walk-off hit in the bottom of the seventh.
Senior pitcher Liz White was an unfortunate victim in both games. In Thursday's contest, White (11-13) allowed the Saints just six hits and one earned run, walking three and striking out three.
However, Limestone took advantage of a Barton error to lead off the seventh, as Shay Reynolds then stole second base and scored the game-winning run on a one-out single to center field by Sam Thornton.
The Saints (32-17) had tied the game in the bottom of the sixth in similar fashion, using an errant throw on a sacrifice bunt attempt following a walk to score and make it 2-all.
Barton (21-25) took an early 1-0 lead in the game when White drew a walk to lead off the second, moved to second base on a sacrifice bunt by Samantha Bass, advanced to third on a fly ball to right by Crystal Britton and scored on a single up the middle by Sydney Speight.
The Lady Bulldogs threatened for more after Brittany Jacobs moved Speight into scoring position by drawing a walk, but Limestone starter Courtney Smith got a strikeout to end the threat.
Two innings later, Barton increased its lead to 2-0 when Bass ripped a pitch from Smith over the fence down the left field line at the Springfield Park field for her second home run of the year.
White took a two-out shutout to the fourth before Limestone opened the inning with consecutive doubles by Caroline Hill and Emma Swearingen to get on the board and cut its deficit to 2-1.
Barton collected its fourth and final hit of the day on a one-out double by Rachel Jordan in the sixth, but Saints reliever Josie Weber (17-4) stepped in and retired all five batters she faced the rest of the way.
Four different players accounted for those four hits for Barton. Thornton had two of Limestone's six hits.
The Lady Bulldogs hope that the déjà vu ends with just this game. Last season, Barton had to play a No. 3 seed in the second round instead of No. 6 because of a first-round upset. The same is true this year, as Belmont Abbey knocked off University of Mount Olive on Thursday, 6-5. Barton is scheduled to face the rival Trojans (30-19) in an elimination game at noon on Friday.
