DUNCAN, S.C. – The Barton softball team (25-23) survived the first day of the 2024 Conference Carolinas Championship Thursday after splitting its pair of games at Tyger River Park: a 5-0 win over King (27-24) before a 9-3 setback to top-seeded Francis Marion (42-10). The Bulldogs are the ninth seed in the tournament.
Barton 5, King 0
Barton senior
Miranda Holmes (Godwin, N.C.) improved to 20-10 on the year after throwing a two-hit shutout – her 10th on the year – to go along with 15 strikeouts.
Barton junior second baseman
Mary Lindsey Harris (Robersonville, N.C.) drove in a pair of runs while sophomore outfielder
Makenzie Cyzick (Dayton, Va.) added an RBI triple to lead the Bulldogs offensively. King's Nikole Counts (Clintwood, Va.) fell to 5-4 after taking the loss. The Tornado are the eighth seed in the tournament.
Francis Marion 9, Barton 3
The Patriots took control with four runs in both the third and fourth innings, respectively, while Makayla Cuthbertson (Indian Trail, N.C.) and Katie Smith (Greenwood, S.C.) both hit home runs to lead the Patriots to their fifth win over the Bulldogs this season.
Barton junior designated player
Gracelyn Massey (Princeton, N.C.) hit her team-leading 13th home run of the year but freshman
Kerrigan Wonder (Omaha, Neb.) (0-7) was tagged with the loss.
Francis Marion's Alyssa Poston (Hartsville, S.C.) improved to 24-4 on the year after earning the win. Poston struck out seven batters over six innings of work.
Barton will face 11th-seeded Belmont Abbey in an elimination game on Friday at 2:00 p.m.
