Box Score by Cory Guinn
BELMONT, N.C. – The Barton College baseball team scored at least one run in six of the nine innings played and the pitching staff surrendered just five hits during Friday's 11-0 shutout of No. 16 Belmont Abbey College at Abbey Yard.
Barton (26-12, 12-7 CC) went ahead early after junior Tyler Garrett led off the game with his first career home run. An RBI single from junior Andrew Webster in the third inning and a two-RBI single from freshman Charlie Vaughan in the fourth pushed the BC advantage to 4-0 over the Crusaders (28-8-1, 16-3).
The Bulldog offense came alive in the fifth inning, scoring five runs on just three hits to lead 9-0 midway through the game. Sophomore Hunter Pearre and freshman Gatlin Pate each drove in a run with RBI singles before Garrett was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to bring a run across the plate. Junior Calvin Hawke concluded the scoring with an RBI single to left center, scoring two.
BC scored once more in the seventh as redshirt-junior Chris Davis came home on a wild pitch. Barton's scoring ended in the eighth inning after Ben Youngblood hit a double, his second of the game, scoring Pate from first.
Relievers Andrew Davis and Troy Maslowski pitched scoreless eighth and ninth innings, respectively, to seal the win for Barton.
Sophomore right-hander Dylan Ward (7-2) picked up the win for Barton after allowing just four hits over seven innings with eight strikeouts.
Eight of the nine starters for Barton recorded a hit in the contest, led by Pate and Youngblood who each finished 3-for-4 with one RBI apiece and five combined runs scored. Hawke and Webster were both 2-for-6 at the plate, while senior Ben Williams reached base four times via walk.
Barton and Belmont Abbey conclude the series with a doubleheader tomorrow afternoon beginning at Noon.
