WILSON, N.C. – The Barton baseball team (2-8, 1-5) lost to Young Harris (11-3, 6-0) twice, 10-7 and 11-7, Friday afternoon in a Conference Carolinas doubleheader at Nixon Field.
Game One – Young Harris 10, Barton 7 (seven innings)
The Mountain Lions' Jackson Morgan (Alpharetta, Ga.) hit a two-run home run in the top of the first inning and finished with three RBI while Kade Smallwood (Flowery Branch, Ga.) drove in four runs as the visitors survived a late rally and held on for the win.
Barton sophomore outfielder
Vincent Santostefano (Chapin, S.C.) also hit a home run in the first frame while junior first baseman
Mason McDougall (Tampa, Fla.) added a three-run round-tripper in the sixth frame but fell just short. Both Santostefano and McDougall totaled two hits and two runs scored in the losing effort.
On the mound, Young Harris' Barrett Eldridge (Marietta, Ga.) (1-0) pitched two scoreless innings of relief to earn the win while Barton junior
Matthew Keoneke (Hagerstown, Md.) (0-1) suffered the loss.
Game Two – Young Harris 17, Barton 7
The Mountain Lions hit five home runs – including three from Keypher Contreras (Baraona, DOMINIC REBUBLIC) – to complete the weekend series sweep of the Bulldogs.
Smallwood added a two-run home run for Young Harris, who broke the contest open by scoring 10 straight runs in the middle innings.
Barton was led by senior second baseman
Blake Kolesnik (Wake Forest, N.C.), who finished with three hits and a pair of runs batted in.
The Mountain Lions' Sean Keener (Clayton, Del.) (1-0) was credited with the win in relief while junior
Dylan Mason (Rolesville, N.C.) (0-1) suffered the loss for the home team.
Barton hits the road to take on King in a conference contest next Friday, February 27, beginning at 2:00 p.m. Young Harris, meanwhile, returns home to host Shorter in a league affair on Friday starting at 4:00 p.m.
