DUNCAN, S.C. – The Barton softball team (25-20, 15-9) made it five victories in a row with a Conference Carolinas doubleheader sweep of Converse (15-33, 6-18), 5-4 and 9-6, Sunday afternoon at Tyger River Stadium.
Game One – Barton 5, Converse 4
Barton senior second baseman
Emily Bell (Bunn, N.C.) hit the game-winning, run-scoring single in the top of the seventh inning as the Bulldogs rallied from a 4-1 deficit to take the victory.
Barton tied the score at four thanks to a three-run home run from senior first baseman
Sloane Correa (Greenville, N.C.) in the sixth inning while senior
Rilee Jones (Norfolk, Va.) (7-5) earned the victory after holding the Valkyries scoreless over the final two and one-third innings of work. Correa finished with three hits for the contest.
For Converse, Madeline Modica (Mooresville, N.C.) drove in a pair of runs but Serrah Ballard (Lancaster, S.C.) fell to 5-10 after taking the loss.
Game Two – Barton 9, Converse 6
Trailing by a 6-3 score after five innings of work, the Bulldogs rallied with a six-run sixth inning to take the lead for good.
Barton senior outfielder
Savannah Branch (Shallotte, N.C.) tied the score at six with a two-run double before senior third baseman
Lindsey Massengill (Pine Level, N.C.) drove in the game-winner.
Correa drove in three more runs while Jones (8-5) earned the victory in relief after pitching from the second inning on and allowing just one run to go along with four strikeouts.
The Valkyries' Ayellad Howard (Santa Clarita, Calif.) had a bases-clearing triple in the second inning in the setback. Converse's Victoria Dichio (Crawfordville, Fla.) fell to 3-8 after taking the loss.
Barton will be the fifth seed in the 2023 Conference Carolinas Softball Championship and will face fourth-seeded Emmanuel (29-19, 15-7) on Thursday at 4:00 p.m., back at Tyger River Stadium in Duncan, S.C.
