Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 by Benny Benton
WILSON, N.C. – Sophomore Hannah Jones tossed a three-hit shutout in game one and sophomore transfer Makayla Meeks added a five-hit, five-inning shutout for her first BC pitching victory in game two as Barton College swept visiting Shaw University, 7-0 and 8-0, in a softball doubleheader Sunday at Jeffries Field.
The two victories helped Barton improve to 5-3 on the year. With the losses, Shaw dropped to 1-7.
Game 1 – Barton 7, Shaw 0
Jones (2-0) did not allow a hit by the Bears until Tori Hale's single to left field to lead off the fifth inning. The Huntersville, N.C., resident gave up her other two hits to consecutive batters to open the sixth and issued a one-out walk to load the bases, but collected a strikeout and a fly ball to left to end the threat. Jones walked three and struck out six in the contest.
Barton took a 1-0 lead in the second inning when Megan Kelly singled, stole second, moved to third on a single by Jones and scored on a sacrifice fly by Samantha Santmyers. The Lady Bulldogs added a pair of runs in the third on a sacrifice fly by Jones and a Shaw error, then broke the game open with a three-run fifth inning that included an RBI triple by Kelly and RBI single by Taylor Martin.
Santmyers collected her second RBI of the contest on a groundout in the seventh. Kelly went 3-for-3 in the game, with Jones and Sierra Hearp each adding a pair of hits in the 13-hit attack.
Frances Perry (0-2) suffered the pitching loss for the Bears, giving up 10 hits and five earned runs over four innings.
Game 2 – Barton 8, Shaw 0 (5 inn.)
Meeks (1-2) scattered her five hits over five different innings to keep the Bears off the board and earn her first win as a Lady Bulldog.
The Greenville, N.C., resident and Pitt Community College transfer walked just one and struck out a pair in her five innings of work. She was most threatened after giving up a leadoff single and two-out walk in the fourth, but got a fly ball to right field to end the inning.
Barton gave Meeks a lead in the contest right away, scoring two runs in the bottom of the first. Sydney Speight led off the frame with a single, and the next three batters all drew walks from Shaw starter Chynna Gross (0-3), the last one to Hearp bringing in a run. The Bears forced one runner out at the plate, but Jones followed with a grounder to short to drive in the inning's second run.
The Lady Bulldogs tacked on three more runs in the second inning, two of those coming on a double to left-center by Kelsie Conner. Meeks helped herself with an RBI infield single in the fifth, and Conner produced a sacrifice fly as part of a three-run inning that ended the game early on the eight-run rule.
Speight, Hearp and Conner each had two of Barton's 10 hits. Conner collected three RBI and Hearp drove in a pair.
Kiana Rogers delivered two of Shaw's five hits.
Barton will play four single games this weekend in Duncan, S.C., as part of the Mid-South Classic. The Lady Bulldogs will face St. Joseph's (Ind.) College and Flagler College on Friday at Tyger River Park, and will square off against Newberry College and UNC Pembroke on Saturday.
