Barton softball bounces back with conference sweep over Northwest Tech #GoBarton

Taking a pair of conference losses the last time on the diamond, the Barton Community College softball team bounced back with a sweep of their own with victories over Northwest Kansas Technical College. Trailing 5-0 on their home Cougar Field, the Cougars rallied with five late runs to win 8-7 before blanking the Mavericks 8-0 in five innings. The victories along with other results around the conference moves Barton into second place at 6-2 in improving to 9-11 on the season while the Mavericks drop to 2-6 and 4-10 overall. The Cougars will have eight days rest stretching through the College's spring break, next taking the field on Sunday, March 25, in hosting Seward County Community College in a 2:00 p.m. first pitch.

Northwest Kansas grabbed a first inning single unearned run on the first of five Barton errors in the game. The Mavericks tacked on four more in the second getting a Shae Muggridge two run- home run and a Marlena Rubio two RBI double.

Barton began its climb from the deficit in the home half getting the first on an executed double steal by Andreana Reynolds and Jaila Jordan with Jordan coming around later to score on Nasadiya Salazar ground out.

The Cougars climbed another rung on the ladder to get out of the hole in the third as Alexis Sharples' leadoff walk would score on Morgan Michaelis' two out single.

The Mavericks answered the run in the top of the fourth as Erika Silva's leadoff double would score a single later on Alexis Perez' RBI single.

Barton stranded a Jordan leadoff single in the home half to put Emma Horsch back in the circle with the Sterling High School product sending the Mavericks down with a trio of strikeouts to match her career high with seven punch outs.

A double by Kat Frakes to lead off the bottom of the fifth followed by a single from Hailey Pop set up Michaelis' second run producing sing in as many at bats. A Reynolds single later, Horsch would drive in a run with Salazar driving in her second of the game with a sacrifice fly to tie it up at six.

Horsch and the defense came together after consecutive errors opened up the sixth in rolling up a 1-6-3 double play (Horsch-Jordan-Frakes) before a pop-up ended the inning.

Consecutive Frakes and Pop singles opened the bottom of the inning with Michaelis' groundout pushing across the go-ahead run. A Reynolds walk later, Horsch drove in an extra cushion score giving the Cougars a two-run lead to the seventh.

Thereza Felix cut the deficit in half sending the first pitch over the fence but Horsch was able to get the next two outs on infield pop-ups. A single extended the inning but Horsch induced a ground out to the circle improving to 4-6 on the season.

Right fielder Kristin Storer set the game two tone catching a running liner towards the foul line to gun out a one-out walk at first base for the ending inning double play.

Pop extended the home half with a single as Michaelis made the Mavericks pay depositing her third long ball of the year over the fence on a deep towering shot to left.

Allison Panning erased a second inning leadoff walk concluding the inning with two strikeout looking before beginning the third with a strikeout in sending the Mavericks down in order.

Two consecutive extra base hits opened up the Cougars' third inning as Sharples doubled and Frakes laced her first triple of the year down the right field line. Pop's groundout RBI looked to be the only other run Barton would get in the inning but Reynolds extended the inning with a walk with Horsch following with a single. Maggie Schuetz then stepped to the plate and celebrating her birthday in style, launched the Hoyt freshman's first collegiate homerun with a drive to left center for a 3-run shot. Salazar kept the fun rolling with a walk before swiping her first collegiate stolen base with Storer roping a shot through the five-hole to conclude the six run inning with four coming with two outs.

Panning worked out of two-on situations in both the fourth and fifth in holding the Mavericks off the scoreboard improving to 5-4 on the year.

Michaelis was one of five Cougars with three hits on the afternoon, driving in five runs. Horsch helped her cause with the 3-for-4 two RBI game one with Frakes, Pop and Reynolds also joining the three hit club amongst the nineteen Cougar hits.