Barton Softball outgunned in Garden City #GoBarton

The Barton Community College softball team was outgunned Thursday in a doubleheader loss at Garden City Community College.

Garden City pounded out seventeen hits in putting away the opener with a ten run fourth inning for a 17-4 victory. The Cougars fought back from a deficit in a wild game two with three runs in the seventh but fell in the bottom of the ninth frame 11-10 on a two-out walk-off hit.

The losses drop Barton to 10-8 and 16-14 overall while Garden City's sweep splits the season series between the teams improving to 7-9 in league and 13-19 on the year.

Barton's next home game is Saturday for a 1:00 p.m. hosting of Seward County Community College before heading back to the road next Wednesday in a 3:00 p.m. first pitch at Pratt Community College.

Having just seven hits when the teams met a month ago, Garden City pounded out thirty-four hits while the Cougars had twenty, nine shy of its previous total in sweeping the Broncbusters in run-rule fashion, and added nine miscues aiding the cause.

Game One Recap
Following a first inning home run, the Cougars grabbed their lone lead of the game in the top of the second on Adreanna Lance's double plating Jaysa Anderson and Teegan Krol walks.

Garden City regained the lead in the home half with four runs, beginning with a leadoff homer, a two run 1-out triple, and the first of Barton's three errors in the game to chase starter Kayla Beers from the game.

Sydni Williams' one out double scoring Kayden Smith's reach on error got one run back but the Broncbusters answered with two of their own in the bottom half on a two out double to take a 7-3 lead.

Barton lined into an unfortunate double play in the top of the fourth with nothing unfortunate happening for the Broncbusters in the home half. Garden City connected on eight of their seventeen hits in the frame, received two walks, and took advantage of a pair of two errors in going through three pitchers to put a game clinching ten runs on the scoreboard.

Anderson's two out single scoring Smith closed out Barton's scoring in the fifth as Williams picked up her second hit of the game to lead the Cougars' five total hits.

Beers' 1.1 innings took the loss dropping to 6-7 on the year with Williams, Savannah Benson, and Julia Carey also getting time in the circle.

Game Two Recap
Garden City rolled the momentum into game two with a pair of one-out singles before a double staked the home team a 2-0 advantage.

After the Cougars lined into its second double play at the first base bag, Halie Stoneking extended the third inning launching her team tying 5th home run of the year. The left center blast sparked the Cougars' three run inning with Williams and Anderson's ensuing singles scampering home on Kennedee Lara's team leading third triple of the season.

Barton went back to work in the fourth beginning with Lance's first of two doubles in the game, scoring late in the inning on Smith's sacrifice fly to lead 4-2.

Jessica Morgan stuck out her fourth Broncbuster of the game to start the home half of the fourth but a single followed by a two base error leading to a sacrifice fly cut the lead in half. Garden City extended the inning on two outs, adding another on a double before taking the lead on another Barton error allowing a run to score.

The Cougars regained the lead in the fifth with two runs, Williams scoring the first leading off the inning with a walk to score after Lara's single and Krol's reach on error. Lance's second two-bagger of the game drove home Lara putting Barton up 6-5.

Another Barton error helped set up Garden City's two-run answer in the fifth's home half, getting a runner with one out on the paths to be followed by a double leading to a two RBI single.

Barton went down in order in the sixth with Garden City adding two more to its lead in the bottom half. A leadoff double and single began the frame, loading the bases on a one-out walk, but Morgan struck out the next batter and had a 1-2 count to end the inning before the Broncbusters produced a bloop two RBI single to chase Morgan from the game on the 9-6 deficit.

The Cougars needed a rally in the seventh, Anderson's third hit leading off the frame with Krol driving her in with a one-out single. Down to their final out, Sammi Baldwin's pinch hit double extended the inning as Dryden's RBI single sliced the deficit to one before Smith lined her lone hit of the game to left field in tying the contest at nine.

Elizabeth Horsch, who took over for Morgan to get the final out of the sixth, surrendered just a two-out walk in the seventh turning the opportunity back to the Barton bats.

Williams collected her second hit of the game to lead off the extra frame but needed a Garden City error to produce the go-ahead run.

The potential win was two outs away but a home run canceled the party sending the game to the ninth.

Smith's two-out reach by plunking in the ninth became the tenth Cougar to be stranded.

A leadoff single was moved to second on a sacrifice bunt and then to third on a groundout. A walk later Lacey Kearsley put a 2-0 pitch into center driving in the winning run for the walk-off victory.

Horsch took the loss dropping to 0-1 on the season, holding the Broncbusters to just three hits and two runs. Morgan surrendered thirteen hits and five earned runs in 5.2 innings in the circle, striking out five for a league leading 113 strikeouts.