MOUNT OLIVE, N.C. – The Barton softball team (20-18, 9-7) split a Conference Carolinas road doubleheader with Mount Olive (30-11, 11-5) Tuesday at Nancy Chapman Cassell Field. The Trojans won the first contest by a 1-0 score while the Bulldogs split the doubleheader with a 2-1 victory in the nightcap.
Game One – Mount Olive 1, Barton 0
The Trojans scored the lone run of the game off a solo home run from Carly Curcio (Allamuchy, N.J.) while Hannah Killough (Pageland, S.C.) improved to 10-6 on the season after throwing a two-hit shutout. Killough also struck out nine batters.
Barton senior
Miranda Holmes (Godwin, N.C.), the reigning three-time league pitcher of the week, fell to 15-7 on the season despite going the distance and allowing just two hits in addition to eight strikeouts.
Game Two – Barton 2, Mount Olive 1
Barton junior designated player
Gracelyn Massey (Princeton, N.C.), who was named the league player of the week earlier in the day, hit a two-run home run in the sixth inning to propel the Bulldogs to the win. Massey's round-tripper was her team-leading 11th round-tripper on the season and she now has a school single-season record 49 RBI on the year.
Barton freshman
Ali Bunch (Wilmington, N.C.) (2-3) earned the win after allowing just one run over five innings of work while Holmes pitched two scoreless innings for her second save of the year. Holmes struck out five batters.
For Mount Olive, Emily Cassidy (Sneads Ferry, N.C.) hit a solo home run while Callie Thornton (Faison, N.C.) fell to 13-2 on the year after suffering the loss. Thornton struck out seven and went the distance in the losing effort.
Barton next travels to Pembroke, N.C., to take on UNC Pembroke in a doubleheader on Friday beginning at 2:00 p.m., while Mount Olive travels to Murfreesboro, N.C., to face Chowan on Friday at 2:00 p.m.
