WILSON, N.C. – The Barton baseball team (24-6, 8-6) split a key Conference Carolinas doubleheader with No. 3 North Greenville (22-7, 10-4) Sunday afternoon at Nixon Field. The Bulldogs held off the Crusaders in the first game, 2-1, while the Crusaders responded with a victory in the nightcap, 7-2.
Game One – Barton 2, North Greenville 1
Barton junior catcher
Chase Waddell (Lucama, N.C.) hit a two-run home run in the third inning – his first round-tripper of the season – and the pitching duo of senior
Connor Patterson (Randleman, N.C.) and graduate student
A.J. Campbell (Absecon, N.J.) was able to help the Bulldogs hold off the Crusaders for the win.
Patterson (3-1) allowed just one run over five innings of work to go along with three strikeouts for the win while Campbell pitched four scoreless innings for his first save of the year.
North Greenville's Pat Monteith (Charleston, S.C.) hit a solo home run in the fifth inning but Jake Monroe (Pawleys Island, S.C.) (4-2) was tagged with the loss.
Game Two – North Greenville, 7, Barton 2 (seven innings)
The Crusaders jumped out to a 5-0 advantage and after an inning and a half of play highlighted by a two-run home run from Jax Cash (Spartanburg, S.C.) in the opening frame as North Greenville salvaged the split.
Barton junior third baseman
Jared Beebe (Atco, N.J.) and freshman designated hitter
Ashton Rhodes (Rocky Mount, N.C.) drove in runs for the Bulldogs but senior
Tanner Halvorson (Eau Claire, Wisc.) (6-1) saw his 17-game winning streak dating back to last season come to an end.
North Greenville's Reece Fields (West Columbia, S.C.) improved to 7-1 with the victory after allowing two runs over six innings of work with five strikeouts.
The two teams wrap up the conference series with a single game on Monday beginning at 1:00 p.m.
