Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 by Benny Benton
DUNCAN, S.C. – The Barton College softball team found it tough sledding on Saturday at the Mid-South Classic against a pair of quality opponents, falling 5-1 to Newberry College and 8-0 to UNC Pembroke at Tyger River Park.
Barton managed just five combined hits over the two contests in falling to 6-6 on the season. With their victories, Newberry and UNC Pembroke both improved to 10-4 on the year.
Game 1: Newberry 5, Barton 1
The Lady Bulldogs took a 1-0 lead against the Wolves in the second inning when Ashley Burkett reached on a fielder's choice, moved to second on a single by Brittany Jacobs and scored on a two-out single to left by Sydney Speight.
Barton starter Makayla Meeks (1-3) worked out of a jam in the first inning without giving up a run, helped in part by a throw from center fielder Megan Kelly that gunned down a runner at the plate for the second out of the inning.
However, Newberry broke through in the third inning. A walk and a double by Hailey Drawe tied the game at 1-all. Drawe advanced to third on her double due to an error in left field, and scored two batters later on an RBI single by Rachel Marion.
Another error in the bottom of the fifth provided assistance to Newberry for a three-run inning. After Natalie Willis singled with one out, Drawes reached base on a miscue at third base and then stole second. Haley Simonds then drilled a double into the gap in left-center, driving in both runners to increase the Wolves' advantage to 4-1. Two batters later, Haley Wildes tacked on an RBI single to center, bringing in a third run and providing the final margin of 5-1.
Meeks surrendered eight hits over five innings of work on the mound for Barton, allowing two earned runs, walking two and striking out one.
Emily Marchbanks (4-2) went the distance for Newberry, giving up the three hits and one BC run while walking five and striking out two.
Game 2: UNC Pembroke 8, Barton 0 (6 inn.)
The Braves and Lady Bulldogs faced off for the third time this season, and Saturday's outcome was the same as the previous two meetings. In all three matchups, UNCP shut out Barton while ending the contest early on the eight-run rule.
UNC Pembroke pitcher Abbey Walters, who tossed a five-inning no-hitter against the Lady Bulldogs two weeks ago in a 13-0 victory, dominated Barton batters again, allowing just two hits. Walters walked one and struck out four in improving to 6-1 on the season.
Hannah Jones collected both of the hits for Barton, a single to short to lead off the game and a single to third with one out in the sixth.
The Braves scored two batters into their first at-bat, as Jamie Johnson led off the UNCP first with a triple to left-center and Haleigh Epperson followed with an RBI single to left. UNC Pembroke added a second run two batters later on an error in center field that allowed Epperson to come home.
Barton committed three errors in the contest that provided the Braves with three unearned runs, and finished Saturday's two games with an equal number of hits and errors – five.
UNCP scored in every inning of the game, collecting single runs in the second, third and fourth innings before getting two runs in the fifth and one more in the sixth to end the game prematurely on the eight-run rule.
Epperson went 3-for-4 at the plate and scored three times for the Braves. Walters and Taylor Gerhart each added a pair in UNC Pembroke's 11-hit attack.
Carolina Merrill (0-2) took the loss after giving up 10 hits and five earned runs over five innings. Merrill did not walk a batter and struck out three. Both of her losses this year have come while matched up against Walters and UNCP.
Barton will make the trip home from South Carolina and quickly return to action, hosting Fayetteville State University in a doubleheader on Sunday starting at 2 p.m.
