FRANKLIN SPRINGS, Ga. – The Barton softball team (16-2, 3-0) continued to prevail in close contests as the Bulldogs swept a Conference Carolinas doubleheader from Emmanuel (Ga.) (17-12, 0-2), 2-1 and 10-9, Saturday afternoon on the road. With the sweep, the Bulldogs ran their winning streak to seven games.
Game One – Barton 2, Emmanuel 1
Barton senior catcher
McCrae Knapp (Hertford, N.C.) came through with the game-winning, RBI single in the top of the seventh inning while the pitching combination of sophomore
Rilee Jones (Norfolk, Va.) and freshman
Gracelyn Massey (Princeton, N.C.) kept the Lions at bay in the win. Knapp finished with two hits in the contest.
Jones (5-2) allowed just one run with five strikeouts while pitching into the seventh inning and Massey retired the final two outs to register the save.
For Emmanuel, Chloe Nadler (Boca Raton, Fla.) had an RBI double but Dani Fairey (Covington, Ga.) suffered the loss despite going the distance and allowing just two runs and striking out eight batters.
Game Two – Barton 10, Emmanuel 9
Barton junior outfielder
Savannah Branch (Shallotte, N.C.) and senior shortstop
Mikayla Rose (Beaufort, N.C.) both drove in a pair of runs as the Bulldogs jumped out to a 5-0 lead and held off a furious rally by the Lions to sweep the doubleheader.
Knapp broke a six-all tie with the game-winning, run-scoring double in the sixth inning while Massey improved to 3-0 after earning the victory in relief for the Bulldogs. Freshman
Kierstin Cooper (Nashville, N.C.) got the Bulldogs out of a bases-loaded jam to earn the save, the first of her collegiate career.
Nadler hit a two-run home run and finished with three hits and four runs batted in for the Lions in the losing effort. Emmanuel's Kaitlyn Pickens (Buford, Ga.) was tagged with the loss.
Barton returns home to take on Belmont Abbey in a league doubleheader at Jeffries Field next Saturday beginning at Noon while Emmanuel hosts Chowan on Sunday at Noon in a doubleheader.
