TIGERVILLE, S.C. – The Barton baseball team (2-7, 0-3) fought hard against the top-ranked team in NCAA Division II but fell to North Greenville (10-0, 3-0) in a doubleheader setback, 3-2 and 4-0, Saturday afternoon at Ashmore Park and Ray and Bea Dillard Field.
Game One – North Greenville 3, Barton 2 (seven innings)
The Crusaders scored all three of their runs in the bottom of third frame highlighted by a two-run, game-winning home run from Pat Monteith (Charleston, S.C.) and were able to hold on for the win and remain unbeaten in league play.
Barton junior outfielder
Raymond Paniagua (Blue Springs, Mo.) drove in both runs for the Bulldogs while junior
Tanner Halvorson (Eau Claire, Wis.) fell to 0-2 on the season despite going the distance allowing just two earned runs with five strikeouts.
For North Greenville, Reece Fields (West Columbia, S.C.) improved to 2-0 after being tagged with the victory while Dawson Taylor (Boiling Springs, S.C.) pitched a scoreless seventh inning for his second save of the year.
Game Two – North Greenville 4, Barton 0
Five pitchers combined for a five-hit shutout for the Crusaders as the home team remained unbeaten on the year. Brody Fowler (Taylors, S.C.) (2-0) was credited with the win while Marek Chlup (Cesky Dub, CZECH REPUBLIC) hit two home runs and three runs batted in to lead North Greenville.
Barton senior
Brett Widerman (Wilmington, N.C.) was tagged with the loss and fell to 0-2 on the year.
Barton returns to Conference Carolinas play on Friday when the Bulldogs take on the Trojans beginning at 4:00 p.m., in Mount Olive, N.C., in the first contest of a weekend series. North Greenville takes on Francis Marion in Florence, S.C., Friday at 3:00 p.m.
