Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 by Benny Benton
WILSON, N.C. – Barton College pitcher Liz White produced her most dominating performance of the season on Wednesday, tossing a one-hit shutout while striking out nine in a 3-0 win over visiting Winston-Salem State University in the first half of a non-conference doubleheader at Jeffries Field.
The Lady Rams helped Barton complete the sweep by providing the Lady Bulldogs with three unearned runs, all of the scoring BC would need to take a 3-2 victory in the nightcap.
Crystal Britton had three hits and an RBI in the doubleheader for BC, and Briana Jackson added three hits as well while stealing three bases.
The sweep helped Barton improve to 13-18 on the year, while WSSU slipped to 20-17.
Game 1 – Barton 3, Winston-Salem State 0
White (8-9) gave up her only hit of the game with one out in the very first inning when Chyna Riley looped a single just inside the left field foul line.
The senior from Windsor, N.C., then retired the next 12 batters in a row before Idaysha Quinones reached on a one-out error in the fifth. A walk – the only one issued by White in the contest – and a hit batsman loaded the bases for the Lady Rams, but White struck out Destiny Snipes to end the inning.
Those would be the only other runners to reach base in the game against White, as she retired the final six batters in order to earn her first shutout of the season.
White helped herself at the plate in the bottom of the first inning, drilling a single past the WSSU first baseman and into right field to drive in Britton, who had led off the inning with an infield single to short.
Barton increased its lead to 2-0 in the second inning when Jackson led off the frame with a sharp single to center, stole second, moved to third on a single by Sydney Speight and scored on a two-out single back up the middle by Taylor Bowden.
The Lady Bulldogs tacked on a third run in the bottom of the sixth. Brittany Jacobs started the frame with a single to left, stole second and moved to third on a single through the left side by Rachel Jordan. Britton then lifted a fly ball to left which the WSSU fielder misplayed, allowing Jacobs to come home. Even without the error Jacobs would have scored, as Bowden followed with a perfectly placed bunt single between first and second base.
Winston-Salem State pitcher Mercedes Hargett (12-10) was tagged with the loss after giving up 10 hits and the three runs, walking three and striking out a pair. Bowden and White each had two of those hits and an RBI.
Game 2 – Barton 3, Winston-Salem State 2
The Lady Rams took their only lead of the day in the first inning of the nightcap after Riley reached on a fielder's choice, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt and scored on Hargett's two-out double to left-center.
Winston-Salem State held its advantage for just an inning, however, as the Lady Bulldogs took advantage of an error to score twice in the second. Jackson singled up the middle with one out and stole second, then scored on the fielding miscue at short. Jacobs, the beneficiary of the error, advanced to second on the play and came home on a two-out single by Britton.
Barton extended its advantage to 3-1 in the fourth thanks to another unearned run. Samantha Bass led off the inning with a single down the right field line, then advanced to second when the right fielder kicked the ball to the fence in foul territory. She would later score from third when a two-out grounder to short off the bat of Sydney Burton was booted.
That extra run would prove beneficial, as the Lady Rams closed the gap to 3-2 in the top of the fifth when Holloman tripled to left field and scored on an RBI groundout by Riley.
Winston-Salem State got the potential game-tying run on base to lead off the seventh when Taonya Stanely singled through the left side, but Barton pitcher Hannah Jones (5-8) retired the next three batters in order to close out the win.
Jones gave up six hits in her 11th complete game of the year. The freshman from Huntersville, N.C., walked one and struck out three.
Riley (7-5) was saddled with the hard-luck loss despite scattering six hits and not allowing an earned run. Riley walked one and struck out a pair, but was victimized by four WSSU errors in the contest.
Britton and Jackson each went 2-for-3 in the game for Barton, as did Holloman and Stanely for Winston-Salem State.
The doubleheader kicked off a grueling stretch of 12 games in eight days for the Lady Bulldogs. Barton will return to Conference Carolinas action this weekend when it hosts North Greenville University on Friday and Limestone College on Saturday.
