WILSON, N.C. – The Barton baseball team (18-16, 10-8) split a Conference Carolinas home doubleheader with Emmanuel (13-22, 5-13) on Saturday afternoon as part of Senior Day at Nixon Field. The Lions held on to win the first contest by a 3-2 score while the Bulldogs took the nightcap, 10-5, to salvage the split.
Game One – Emmanuel 3, Barton 2 (seven innings)
The Lions' Jake Denham (Tempe, Ariz.) (4-3) took a shutout into the last inning while Clifford Brown (Hemet, Ga.) retired the final two batters for his third save of the year as Emmanuel held on to beat Barton.
Emmanuel's Kyle LaCross (Jacksonville, Fla.) had a run-scoring double for the Lions in the win. The Bulldogs were led by junior outfielder
Ryan McIsaac (Millville, N.J.) with three hits and an RBI while senior
Jared Davis (Poquoson, Va.) (4-3) suffered the loss despite going the distance.
Game Two – Barton 10, Emmanuel 5
Barton scored six runs in the bottom of the first inning to take control from the start while sophomore pinch hitter
Luke Pritchett (Greensboro, N.C.) shut the door with a three-run home run in the seventh frame as the Bulldogs split the doubleheader.
Barton sophomore outfielder
Raymond Paniagua (Blue Springs, Mo.) and senior first baseman
Colby Warren (Roanoke Rapids, N.C.) both finished with two hits and two runs batted in while sophomore
Tanner Halvorson (Eau Claire, Wis.) improved to 2-2 after limiting the Lions to just one run over seven innings of work to go along with five strikeouts.
For Emmanuel, Luke Patty (Scottsdale, Ariz.) had three and two RBI in the losing effort. The Lions scored four runs in the top of the ninth inning but it was too little, too late for the visitors. Emmanuel's Ryan Smith (Harlem, Ga.) (0-3) took the loss.
Barton travels to Petersburg, Va., to take on Virginia State on Wednesday beginning at 3:00 p.m., while Emmanuel plays Newberry in Newberry, S.C., on Tuesday at 6:00 p.m.
