WILSON, N.C. – Barton (9-10, 8-6) and King (Tenn.) (9-10, 8-8) split a Conference Carolinas baseball doubleheader Sunday afternoon at Nixon Field. The Tornado won the first contest by a 4-2 score while the Bulldogs rallied to win the nightcap, 6-5, to salvage the split.
Game One – King (Tenn.) 4, Barton 2
The Tornado's Drew Moore (Virginia Beach, Va.) improved to 3-0 on the year after throwing the complete game and allowing just two unearned runs. Moore also struck out eight batters while scattering four hits.
King's Davis Hall (Bluff City, Tenn.) hit a two-run double as part of a three-run first inning to help the visitors take charge from the start. King's Bennett McCann (Ringgold, Va.) drove in two runs as well.
For Barton, freshman outfielder
Zach Taylor (Snow Hill, N.C.) hit an RBI single in the sixth frame but freshman
Mark Petko (Yorktown, Va.) fell to 1-3 after taking the loss on the mound.
Game Two – Barton 6, King (Tenn.) 5
Trailing by a 5-3 score, the Bulldogs plated three runs in the bottom of the ninth inning capped off by Taylor's infield single with two outs which followed up a successful suicide squeeze by junior pinch hitter
Zach Long (New Bern, N.C.) as the Bulldogs salvaged the split.
Barton finished with 16 hits in the game – led by senior outfielder
Colby Warren's (Roanoke Rapids, N.C.) four hits and two runs batted in – as the Bulldogs overcame four errors to take the win. Senior catcher
Brayden Olson (Spokane, Wash.) also drove in two runs while sophomore
Brett Widerman (Wilmington, N.C.) (1-1) pitched a scoreless ninth inning to earn the win for Barton.
King's Ethan Hawkins (Orlando, Fla.) finished with two hits and two runs batted in but Nic Blankenship (Collierville, Tenn.) fell to 1-2 after taking the loss.
Barton remains at home to take on UNC Pembroke on Tuesday afternoon beginning at 2:30 p.m., while King travels to Belmont, N.C., to take on Belmont Abbey in a league doubleheader on Friday starting at 2:00 p.m.
