Cougar offense struggles in home losses to Hutchinson #GoBarton

The Barton Community College softball team struggled to find enough offense Wednesday hosting Hutchinson Community College as the Blue Dragons took the pair of conference contests 10-2 in six innings and 7-1.

Barton falls to 3-3 in conference play and 10-9 on the season while Hutchinson improves its conference leading mark to 5-1 and 16-6 overall.

Weather permitting the Cougars' next game is Saturday in 2:00 p.m. first pitch at Pratt Community College.
<UPDATE: Due to COVID-19 concerns, the KJCCC has halted spring competitions through April 1. Barring any further developments, Barton's next scheduled games will be April 3rd hosting Garden City Community College.>

Game One Recap
Hutchinson broke open game one in the fifth inning, stringing six consecutive hits on Barton hurler Karsyn Smith (7-4) in ballooning a 3-1 score into a 9-1 Blue Dragon lead.

Morgan Rollin staked Hutchinson to a third inning two-run advantage with Bailey Pennycuff tacking on another in the fourth with an RBI single.

Going a perfect 3-for-3 in the opener, Brooke McCollough gave Barton life in the home half of the frame, belting a blast to center for her second of the season cutting the deficit to 3-1.

A one-out error allowing Rollin to reach in the fifth would be costly as Smith struck out Taylor Ullery in what would have ended the inning. Instead, two straight singles followed by Caitlyn Schumacher's two RBI single and Ashley Wilson's two RBI double quickly pushed Hutchinson's lead to 7-1. The Blue Dragons weren't done with Pennycuff driving in her second run out of the No. 9 hole with leadoff Lexi Williams' double driving in the final sixth run of the inning.

Needing a run to extend the game another frame, Kaylie Dryden delivered a one-out double with Lia Chan coming through on a two-out RBI single pushing the game to the sixth.

Cheyenne Henry took over in the circle for Smith in the sixth, greeted by Rollin's second hit in the game before Ullery connected on her sixth home run of the season for the Blue Dragons' fifteenth hit compared to just eight for the Cougars.

Rollin relieved winning pitcher Sadie Loney (4-3) for the sixth, sending the Cougars down in order.

Game Two Recap
Williams led off with her first of two doubles in game two, scoring an out later on a Rollin sac fly.

Hutchinson added two more to their lead in the third on Ullery's second long shot of the day with Kylee Dunn driving in a solo run in the fifth.

Barton's lone run came in the home half of the fifth frame with Kaleigh Peak reaching on a two-out infield hit before Kaylee Milligan cut the deficit to 4-1.

The margin grew by three in the ensuing top of the sixth as a leadoff double chased Ashlee Lucero (3-4) with Smith resuming the circle inducing a sacrifice fly. Two Barton error helped muck up the inning with Williams's double and Rollin's single each driving in runs for the final 7-1 victory.

Hutchinson collected nine hits to Barton's five, outhitting the Cougars 24-13.