MOUNT OLIVE, N.C. – The Barton softball team (16-16, 4-8) fell to Conference Carolinas rival Mount Olive (17-13, 7-3) in a doubleheader Wednesday afternoon by scores of 2-1 and 3-2 at Nancy Chapman Cassell Field.
Game One – Mount Olive 2, Barton 1
The Trojans' Alyssa Smothers (Goldsboro, N.C.) hit a walk-off solo home run with one out in the bottom of the seventh inning to win the game for the home team.
Mount Olive's Samantha Taylor (Winterville, N.C.) tied the contest at one with a round-tripper in the sixth frame while Linda Hodge (Virginia Beach, Va.) (9-5) earned the complete game victory. Hodge limited Barton to just three hits while striking out five batters.
Sophomore
Ali Bunch (Wilmington, N.C.), who drove in the Bulldogs' lone run with a sacrifice fly in the top of the sixth inning, fell to 3-3 after suffering the loss. Bunch allowed just two runs to go along with three strikeouts while going the distance.
Game Two – Mount Olive 3, Barton 2
The Trojans scored twice in the bottom of the first inning on RBI doubles by Taylor and Liz Thome (Mayock, N.C.), the latter of which was the game-winner, as Mount Olive held on to sweep Barton and defeat the Bulldogs for the fourth time in a week.
Barton sophomore catcher
Olivia Darrow (Remington, Va.) drove in a run while senior
Kierstin Cooper (Nashville, N.C.) (9-9) took the loss despite going the distance. Mount Olive's Hailey King (Harrells, N.C.) improved to 6-4 on the year after allowing just two runs in the complete game win.
Barton remains on the road to take on Chowan in a league doubleheader on Friday in Murfreesboro, N.C., starting at 1:00 p.m., while Mount Olive travels to Belmont, N.C., for a conference doubleheader starting at 1:00 p.m., on Friday as well.
