Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 by Cory Guinn
WILSON, N.C. – The Barton College baseball team completed a series sweep of Erskine College on Saturday afternoon with 2-1 and 14-8 victories at Nixon Field.
Barton (25-16, 10-11) moved up to fifth place in the Conference Carolinas standings after completing the three-game sweep of Erskine, a feat the program last completed during the 2013 season. Erskine (24-15, 13-8) fell on spot into a tie for third and have now lost six games in a row.
Game One: Barton 2, Erskine 1 (Seven inn.)
Barton's Trent Fennell (6-1) made history in the first game of the day, striking out eight batters to bring his season total to 84. The mark is now tied for the highest single season mark in program history.
The right-hander tossed his fourth complete game of the year, allowing just one unearned run on three hits in the affair.
Erskine's lone run of the game came across in the fifth inning. Henry Faunce drew a one-out walk and was replaced by pinch runner Tyler Bond who advanced to second after an error by Barton on a pick-off play. A single from Chase Watts brought the runner around to score and put the Fleet ahead 1-0.
Barton stranded a runner on third in the bottom half of the fifth, but finally broke through for two runs in the sixth inning of play.
Senior Calvin Hawke led off the inning with a double and moved to third after a bunt single from sophomore Ricks Dearing. A wild pitch allowed both runners to advance 90 feet, tying the game at one run apiece. After a long foul out moved Dearing to third, senior Blake Spangenberg brought the go-ahead run home with a sacrifice fly to center field.
Fennell sat the Fleet down in order in the top of the seventh, including two strikeouts, to secure the win.
Senior Shawn Montren was 2-for-3 at the plate, while fellow senior Tyler Garrett, Dearing and Hawke recorded one hit each.
Game Two: Barton 14, Erskine 8
The Barton offense came alive in the series finale, putting up 14 runs on 14 hits and overcoming three miscues in the field.
Erskine once again got on the scoreboard first with a run in the second before the Bulldogs tied the score on with an RBI double from Garrett in the second inning of action.
Pate doubled to right center with the bases loaded in the fourth, clearing the base paths and giving Barton a 4-1 lead. However, the Fleet scored three runs of their own in the fifth to tie the game once again.
In the home half of the fifth, freshman Chase Riker reached on a one-out single and later scored as senior Andrew Webster sent a ball off the batter's eye in center field to score two runs and put BC ahead 6-4. The long ball was Webster's 18th of the year which is currently the highest total across all divisions of play in the NCAA.
Barton starter Kerry Walker stranded two Erskine runners at second and third to end the sixth inning before sophomore Troy Maslowski led off the bottom of the frame with a solo home run to left center. The Bulldogs went on to score five total runs in the inning, including a two-RBI single from Dearing.
Four runs in the seventh inning gave the Fleet hopes of a rally. Barton brought its final run home in the bottom of the seventh as Erskine was held scoreless over the final two innings of the game.
Walker (8-3) allowed eight runs (three earned) on 13 hits with three walks and three strikeouts over eight innings of work. Junior Andrew Davis struck out one batter in a hitless ninth inning of relief.
All nine members of the Barton lineup recorded a hit in the contest, including Hawke who was 2-for-2 with a double, an RBI, two walks and three RBI. Webster finished 2-for-4 with a home run, two RBI and three runs scored, while Dearing, Garrett and Riker also had two hits apiece.
Barton hosts Chowan University in a non-conference matchup on Tuesday, April 11 in its next game before welcoming league opponent Southern Wesleyan University to Wilson for a three-game series beginning on Friday, April 14.
