Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 by Benny Benton
CARY, N.C. – Barton College split a pair of games in the Shaw University Softball Challenge on Saturday, blanking Elizabeth City State University, 11-0, in five innings before falling to University of Charleston (W.V.), 5-2, at Thomas Brooks Park.
Sophomore Hannah Jones went 3-for-3 with three runs scored in the opener, while junior Brittany Jacobs and freshman Morgan Pedley both collected three RBI in the contest. Sophomore pitcher Makayla Meeks (2-3) allowed just two hits in earning the win over ECSU (0-9).
Against Charleston (4-4), two costly errors accounted for all five runs for the Golden Eagles. Barton actually out-hit Charleston 7-6 in the game, but Golden Eagles pitcher Alli Burdette (2-2) struck out nine to keep the score in check.
With the split, Barton moved to 11-9 on the year.
Game 1: Barton 11, Elizabeth City State 0 (5 inn.)
The Lady Bulldogs jumped on winless ECSU quickly, using a leadoff walk by Megan Kelly and an infield single by Jones to set the stage for a two-run double to left by Jacobs in the bottom of the first.
The Lady Vikings committed six errors in the first two innings alone, allowing two more runs to score in the first and four more runs to come home in the second.
A double by Kelly, an RBI triple by Jones and an RBI groundout by Jacobs added two more runs for Barton in the third, and BC tacked on one more run in the fourth on an RBI double by Pedley.
Elizabeth City State loaded the bases in the second inning on two walks sandwiched around a single up the middle by Ashante Spruill. However, Meeks used a grounder to third to end the inning and extinguish the threat.
Meeks allowed just one more hit in the game, a single up the middle in the third by Alyssa Griffin. Meeks did not walk another batter after the two in the second inning and struck out five.
Game 2: Charleston 5, Barton 2
An error at third base gave the Golden Eagles an extra out in the first inning, and Charleston cashed in with an RBI double to left by Haleigh Christopher and RBI single to short by Shelby Ume.
In the third, a two-out error at shortstop kept the inning alive for Charleston and loaded the bases. Monica Carter followed by clearing the bases with a three-run triple in the left-centerfield gap, pushing the Golden Eagles' lead to 5-0.
After stranding a pair of runners on base in the top of the fourth, the Lady Bulldogs broke through an inning later. Meeks led off the BC fifth with a single to center and scored all the way from first on a single by Sierra Hearp. Kelly followed with a double down the left field line, moving Hearp to third, and Sydney Speight drove Hearp home with a sacrifice fly down the right field line.
The Lady Bulldogs brought the potential tying run to the plate in the seventh after Meeks was hit by a pitch and Speight singled, but Burdette produced a strikeout to end the game.
Kelly had two of Barton's seven hits in the contest. Six different players had one hit each for the Golden Eagles.
Carolina Merrill (0-4) suffered another hard-luck loss for BC despite giving up just four hits over four innings. All five runs she surrendered were unearned, the third straight start in which she has been the victim of three or more unearned runs. Merrill walked four and struck out one.
Barton will conclude its play in the Shaw Challenge on Sunday with a single game against Chowan University at 12:30 p.m.
