Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 by Cory Guinn
GAFFNEY, S.C. – Led by a complete game performance from sophomore Dylan Ward the Barton baseball team picked up a 15-2 in in game two of Saturday's doubleheader against Limestone College. The Saints took the first game of the day 12-4 in seven innings over Barton at Founders FCU Stadium.
The Bulldogs improved to 14-3 overall with a 1-2 record in Conference Carolinas play as the Saints record moved to 11-6 with a 2-1 mark in the league.
Game One: Limestone 12, Barton 4 (Seven inn.)
Limestone belted five home runs in the opening game of the day, including a two-run home run from Chase Allen in the first inning to build an early 2-0 lead.
Barton got a run back in the third inning on an RBI single from junior Hunter Pearre, but the Saints homered three times in the bottom of the fifth inning and scored seven runs in the frame to open the lead to a 9-1 margin.
In the sixth, senior Shawn Montren singled in a run before Pearre hit a two-run home run, his first of the season, to bring Barton within five runs. However, Limestone added three runs in the bottom half of the inning, including Allen's second home run of the game, to seal the final 12-4 advantage.
Senior right-hander Kerry Walker (4-1) took the loss after allowing six runs on seven hits, including four long balls, go with four strikeouts over 4.1 innings of work.
Sophomore Ryan Pifer allowed four runs on five hits in just 2/3 of an inning, while senior Justin Evans and freshman Landry Moore combined to pitch the final inning of relief.
At the plate in game one, Pearre was a perfect 4-for-4 with a home run and three RBI. Montren was also perfect, finishing 3-for-3 with an RBI and two runs scored, redshirt-senior Chris Davis and freshman Chase Riker were each 2-for-4 on offense.
Game Two: Barton 15, Limestone 2
Sophomore right-hander Dylan Ward got the ball for Barton in the final game of the series and led the Bulldogs to their first conference win of the season. The Laurinburg, N.C. native went all nine innings for his first career complete game, allowing just two runs on five hits and striking out nine batters.
The Bulldogs gave Ward all the run support he would need in the first inning scoring three runs on an RBI single from senior Andrew Webster and a two-run home run from fellow senior Calvin Hawke.
In the third, sophomore Gatlin Pate hit a two-run home run to put BC ahead by five before Montren hit a solo shot to left field in the sixth inning to extend the Barton lead to 6-0.
Limestone's Zach Piazza homered in the bottom half of the sixth to put his team on the scoreboard, but Webster responded with a solo home run of his own in the top of the seventh to get the run back for Barton.
Webster's second long ball of the game, a two-run blast highlighted a four-run eighth inning for Barton before Limestone added a single run in the bottom of the inning. Two RBI from Montren and another from Pearre in the ninth inning ending the scoring as Ward struck out the final batter of the game to secure the win.
Webster was 4-for-6 at the plate in game two, hitting two home runs, scoring three time and driving in four RBI. Pate was 3-for-5 with a home run and two RBI of his own, while Hawke and Montren combined for five hits, including two home runs, and five total RBI.
Barton hosts Coker College on Tuesday, Feb. 28 at 2 p.m. in a non-conference matchup at Nixon Field.
