Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 by Benny Benton
WILSON, N.C. – The Barton College softball team picked up two key Conference Carolinas victories on Friday by sweeping North Greenville University in a doubleheader at Jeffries Field, 4-3 and 6-5, the second game in 11 innings.
The sweep was the first for the Lady Bulldogs over North Greenville since the Crusaders joined the league for the 2011-12 season. The wins moved Barton (15-18, 5-7) up two spots in the overall standings from tenth to eighth, and from eighth to sixth among teams eligible for the conference tournament.
North Greenville, which began the day tied with Barton in the league standings, fell to 16-19 overall and 3-9 in conference play.
Barton made the second win more difficult than it needed to be, surrendering three unearned runs in North Greenville's final at-bat of regulation play that tied the game at 4-all. Samantha Bass beat out an infield single with two outs in the bottom of the eighth just to keep the Lady Bulldogs alive before Liz White finally won it in the bottom of the 11th with a sacrifice fly that drove in Sydney Burton with the game-winning run.
White made life somewhat easier for Barton in game one, pitching a five-hitter to earn her fifth win in her last six decisions.
Game 2 – Barton 6, North Greenville 5 (11 inn.)
Barton seemed in control of game two through five innings.
The Lady Bulldogs scored in the second inning on an RBI single by Bass, added another run in the fourth on doubles by Rachel Jordan and Briana Jackson, then tacked on two more runs in the fifth on an RBI double by Kelsie Conner and RBI single by Megan Kelly.
Meanwhile, Barton's freshman pitcher, Hannah Jones (6-8) was working a three-hit shutout. Her most serious challenge had come in the very first inning when Kate Lee led off the game with a double to center, but she was later tagged out at third on an unassisted double play by Jordan following a sharp line drive.
North Greenville finally got on the board in the sixth when Grace DeBoer singled and later scored on a groundout by Jordan Farmer, but still trailed by three heading into its last at-bat.
However, a fielding error at short on the first play of the NGU seventh put a runner on base and gave the Crusaders an extra out. That runner would later score on an infield single to short, and DeBoer would add a two-out, two-run single up the middle to tie the game.
Barton tried to win the game in the bottom of the seventh by scoring Taylor Bowden all the way from first on a double in the right-centerfield gap by Conner, but Bowden was called out on a close play at the plate.
Playing the international tiebreaker format under which a runner is placed at second base to start the inning, the Crusaders bunted their runner from second to third and scored her on a sacrifice fly to take their first lead of the day, 5-4, in the top of the eighth.
The Lady Bulldogs bunted their tiebreaker runner over as well, but then NGU pitcher Kayla McCarson (0-5) got a groundout on which Barton could not score for the second out. Down to its final out, Bass hit a slow-roller to second base and beat it out for a base hit, scoring the runner from third to tie the game again at 5-all.
Neither team managed to score in the ninth or tenth, and Jones got a groundout and a fly ball to left to keep the Crusader runner at third base in the top of the 11th.
Burton served as the tiebreaker runner at second base for Barton in the bottom of the inning, and she was quickly bunted to third by Brittany Jacobs. White then came to the plate as a pinch-hitter, and took a full-count pitch from McCarson the opposite way to right, deep enough to drive in Burton with the game-winner.
The Lady Bulldogs produced 10 hits off McCarson in the game, with Bowden, Conner, Kelly and Bass collecting two each.
Jones limited North Greenville to seven hits over the 11 innings and walked just one. She did not strike out a batter in the contest. DeBoer went 2-for-4 with two RBI for the Crusaders.
Game 1 – Barton 4, North Greenville 3
As it would later do in game two, Barton jumped out to a quick lead in game one, built upon that advantage, then had to hold on at the end.
The Lady Bulldogs scored in the first inning off NGU pitcher Carson O'Donald (8-7) after Britton led off with a single to left-center, stole second, advanced to third on a Bowden sacrifice and came home on a safety squeeze bunt by Jones.
Barton added another run in the second inning using much the same formula. Jackson delivered a leadoff single, stole second, moved to third on a Jacobs sacrifice and raced home on a fielder's choice grounder to second by Britton.
North Greenville, which went hitless off White (9-9) through the first three innings, finally broke out with three hits in the fourth, one of them an RBI single to center by Johnson. However, White avoided more damage by getting a groundout to end the inning with the bases loaded.
Barton got that run right back in the bottom of the fourth when Jacobs rapped a one-out double, advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on a sacrifice fly by Britton.
The Lady Bulldogs increased their advantage to 4-1 the following inning when Jones walked, moved to second on a Conner sacrifice, advanced to third on a single by White and scored on hot line drive off the pitcher by Bass.
The Crusaders produced a two-out rally in the sixth inning to close the gap to one run. Lee singled through the right side and Jordan Willingham walked before the No. 9 hitter in the order, Shayna Finley, laced a 1-2 pitch from White into the gap in right-center for a two-run double. However, White got a strikeout to strand Finley on second as the potential game-tying run.
Celsea Rivers drew a walk to lead off the seventh for NGU, but White retired the next three Crusaders on fly balls to left to seal the win.
White walked five and struck out three in her 13th complete game of the year. Lee had two of North Greenville's five hits in the contest.
The Lady Bulldogs produced eight hits off O'Donald, who walked two and struck out one. Conner had two of BC's hits and Britton posted two RBI.
Barton will continue its stretch of 12 games in eight days on Saturday when it welcomes defending league champion and second-place Limestone College (21-10, 8-1) to Jeffries Field for a 1 p.m. Conference Carolinas doubleheader.
