Barton Softball springs back to action with fifteenth straight win

Returning to Cougar Field after enjoying a few days for spring break, the Barton Community College softball team picked up where they left off taking a pair of games Monday over the junior varsity squad from Kansas Wesleyan University.   The Cougars broke a fourth inning deadlock scoring seven runs while adding another in the fifth to clinch the 12-4 opener then powered its way in the nightcap behind two homeruns and a six run fifth to win 10-5.   The victories extend the Cougars' win streak to fourteen straight improving to 34-2 on the season while dropping KWU to 10-12.   Barton will return to conference action with two more home dates this week playing Garden City Community College at 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday followed by a 1:00 p.m. Friday matchup with Pratt Community College.

Trailing 1-0 from a leadoff homerun, it only took Barton three batters to tie it back up.  Cadie O'Donnell, leading the Cougars going 3-for-4 in the opener, singled up the middle with one out before stealing the first of her two bases on the day.  Jayden Gonzales then stepped to the plate knocking in the first of her team leading five RBIs in the twin bill with a line drive to left.

Pounding out fourteen hits with six players having a multi-hit game, Payton Summers connected on her first leading off the second with a double to right field scoring three pitches later on Holly Posegate's single up the middle.

The lead increased to three the following inning as Gonzales belted her seventh home run of the season to deep centerfield.

The Coyotes would make a game of it in the next half inning getting a leadoff double and an infield error before a three-run shot to centerfield tied at fours in the fourth.

As if to wake a sleeping Cougar, Barton would immediately load the bases in the home half with Posegate leading the way with a double to left field.  McKenna Mauler reached base getting hit by a pitch then Lili Ertmann beat out a sac bunt filling the bases with Cougars.   Following an illegal pitch to push across the go-ahead run, Maddison Schofield drove in two of her three runs in the game with a single through the right side.  O'Donnell drove her second pitch up the middle and following Gonzalez' fielder's choice, Brittany Wood became the second hit batsman in the inning reloading the bases.   Tying Schofield with a team high three runs batted in, Jenna Hosey send a liner to center driving home two and one batter later Wood came home on Summers' short fly to center.   The Cougars wrapped up their seven run inning with consecutive Posegate and Mauler walks forcing Hosey in for the final run.

Striking out her eighth batter to begin the fifth, Madison Didion then got help from her defense in earning her eighteenth win in nineteen decisions as Hosey's diving catch on a line drive up the middle ended up in a game inning double play firing over to first erasing a one-out Coyote single.

The Coyotes would strike first in the second game rallying with two outs getting a single and walk before a line drive up the middle took the early lead.

Showing it was just as dangerous if not more with two outs, the Cougars responded with a Posegate single, Mauler double, and an Ertmann single retaking the lead at 2-1.

The score stayed steady until the fifth as Barton just about ended the game for the second consecutive five inning mark plating six.   Schofield reached on an infield error quickly getting around the bases swiping second base before sliding into third on a passed ball.  O'Donnell then beat out an infield single with Gonzales driving in two of her three runs in the game with a single to center.  One pitch later Wood bounced one into the trees connecting on her nation's third best fourteenth long ball of the season.  One out later and following a Summers single, Posegate helped her cause with a blast to left field for her sixth of the season exploding the lead out to 8-1.

An infield error would keep the Coyote inning alive in the sixth and proved costly as Posegate would walk the next batter to load up the bags before Mary Swanson cleared them all with a grand slam deep drive to left.  

Looking to squelch the KWU momentum having cut the deficit to three, a Schofield single to lead off the inning and O'Donnell reaching on a fielder's choice immediately put two runners aboard.   Gonzales delivered her third RBI of the game increasing the lead out to four while Hosey's fielder's choice scored the speedy O'Donnell from third base to wrap up the scoring.

Just like Didion in game one, Posegate would get help from her defense in the final inning as the Cougars rolled up a middle diamond double play erasing a leadoff single.  Posegate would then induce a harmless ground ball to shortstop to end it, winning her fifteenth game of the year improving to 15-1.

Posegate also led the Cougars in the doubleheader going 4-of-6 from the plate including her fifth inning homerun while also collecting one of the five Cougar doubles on the day and driving home three runs.  Gonzales and O'Donnell each batted .500 or better combining for eight hits with Gonzales' game one homerun helping account for her team high five runs batted in while Hosey finished with four RBI.