WILSON, N.C. – The Barton College softball team (4-0) swept a doubleheader from West Chester (1-3), 11-7 and 9-8, Sunday afternoon at Jeffries Field. The Golden Rams were the ninth-ranked team in the national preseason poll.
Game One – Barton 11, West Chester 7
Barton junior third baseman
Lindsey Massengill (Pine Level, N.C.) drove in four runs including a two-run double while the Bulldogs broke a seven-all tie with a three-run fifth frame to take the lead for good.
Junior first baseman
AnnaKate Gilchrist (Clayton, N.C.), who drove in two runs as well, scored the game-winning run on a wild pitch in the inning. Freshman
Gracelyn Massey (Princeton, N.C.) was credited with the win in relief for the Bulldogs.
For West Chester, Hailey Melvin (Tabernacle, N.J.) drove in two runs with a double but Antonia Browning (Newark, Del.) was tagged with the loss.
Game Two – Barton 9, West Chester 8 (eight innings)
Barton senior shortstop
Mikayla Rose (Beaufort, N.C.) hit the game-winning, walk-off double in the bottom of the eighth as the Bulldogs completed the sweep of the Golden Rams. Trailing by an 8-7 score in the extra frame, the Bulldogs rallied with two runs in the bottom of the frame for the win.
West Chester forced extra innings with four runs in the top of the seventh inning capped off by a two-run single from Olivia Mock (Clifton, Va.). Mock drove in three runs for West Chester while Makenzie Edwards (Atco, N.J.) was tagged with the loss.
Rose drove in two runs in both games and sophomore outfielder
Elyse Brinn (Belhaven, N.C.) hit a solo home run for the Bulldogs. Gilchrist earned the win in relief after retiring the final five batters of the contest.
Barton remains at home to take on Emory & Henry on Saturday, February 12, at Noon in a doubleheader while West Chester faces Salem on Friday, February 25, in Glenville, W.Va., beginning at 12:30 p.m.
