Barton Softball sweeps Hutchinson, wins sixth straight

The Barton Community College softball team ran their winning streak to six games on Saturday at Cougar Field, sweeping the doubleheader against Hutchinson Community College 7-6 and 14-6 in six innings.  Winning six in a row for the first time since the 2008 season, Barton improves to 6-2 on the season while dropping Hutchinson to 1-5.  Barton will play its next six games on the road beginning with the junior varsity squad of Bethany College on Tuesday.  The Cougars won't return to play at Cougar Field until Wednesday, March 5, as Bethany will return the series. 

Game One
The 1-2 punch from Ellis freshman Bailey Hensley and Candace Bollig set the table for the Cougars in the bottom of the first.  After Hensley drew the leadoff walk, Bollig roped a double to left field giving the Cougars two base runners right off the bat. Following an Emilia Davies strikeout, fellow freshman Allison Smith delivered a base hit up the middle to score the Ellis duo giving Barton the early 2-0 lead.

Barton broke a 3-all tie in the fourth inning scoring four runs on four hits as Bollig and Erica Harper delivered RBI singles.  The Cougars also benefitted by working the count as Ashlyn Osborne and Stephanie Morrison both drew bases loaded walks.

Both teams would go silent in the 5th and 6th innings before Hutchinson's Hudson made things interesting.  Following a leadoff walk and single, Hudson delivered a three-run one-out homerun to left to draw the Dragons to within one.  Jaelyn Monhollon would bear down for the Cougars getting a fly out and ground out to hold on to the Cougars fifth straight victory.

Bollig went on to finish 2-for-4 with an RBI after driving home Brianna Ward who led off the Barton's four run fourth inning with a double to deep left center.  Smith had a 2 RBI day going 3-for-4 and scored two runs.

Monhollon earned her third victory of her collegiate career giving up eight hits, six runs, walking two and striking out two to improve to 3-1 on the season.

Game Two
Hutchinson jumped on Barton starter Ashlyn Osborne getting three runs and two hits and capitalizing on a Barton error.  The Cougars responded with two of their own in the home half as Emilia Davies' triple to scored Candace Bollig on at-bat earlier.  Allison Smith then came through with a single to left to score Davies as the Cougars cut the deficit to one.

Osborne settled in to retire the Hutchinson second inning getting her third strikeout in two innings. Darby Grizzard reached base in the bottom half courtesy of a hit by a pitch and was followed by a Bailey Hensley single.  Bollig then gave the Cougars the lead with a double to left center scoring both Grizzard and Hensley.  Barton would then take a two run lead as Allison Smith delivered a two-out single to right center driving home Bollig.

Hutchinson battled back in the third to score three beginning with Natalie Johnson's RBI single. A Nave fly out scored another then Jenkins put the Dragons ahead with a left field single.

Erica Harper led off the Cougar third inning with her first career homerun at any level of play, tying the game and setting the tone for a Barton five run inning.  Hensley delivered a single, Bollig doubled, and a Smith two RBI single would account for four more runs, all coming with two outs in the inning.

Barton tacked on a single run in the fourth and two more in the fifth on Harper's RBI single and Morrison's ground out.  Emilia Davies put the game away with a one-out round tripper as Barton reached the run limit winning 14-6.

Allison Smith went 4-for-4 in the game with four RBIs as the first six batters went a combined 14-for-24.  Bollig had two doubles while Davies was a double away from hitting for the cycle.

Ashlyn Osborne went three innings to improve to 3-1 on the season, scattering five hits and giving up six runs, walking two and striking out four.  Jaelyn Monhollon entered to pitch the last three innings to earn her first collegiate save, keeping the Blue Dragons scoreless on four hits and one walk.