Barton softball notches pair of shortened victories at Seward County #GoBarton

For the second consecutive matchup, the Barton Community College softball team completed a season series sweep over an opponent as Saturday the Cougars registered run-rule 10-1 and 8-0 victories at Seward County Community College.

Trailing 1-0 after the first frame of the doubleheader, the Cougars tied it up in the second before plating seven in the fifth then put the game away in the sixth by tacking on another pair of runs. Connecting on twelve hits in the opener, Barton pounded out another 14 in game two in putting four on the board in their first at-bat, adding another pair in the second, then drove in the final two in the top of the fifth to complete the team's sixth shutout of the year and second over the Saints in the four meetings.

The victories improve Barton to 15-3 in conference play and 22-13 overall while Seward County drops to 7-13 in league and 12-24 on the year.

The Cougars' next games come in a 1:00 p.m. Wednesday hosting of Pratt Community College before road games at Colby Community College on Friday followed by Wednesday's, April 12, trip to Hutchinson Community College.

Barton's top two hitters on the season combined for ten of the squad's 26 hits in the eleven innings played while the Cougars' pitching duo surrendered just five combined hits.

Going 5-of-8 out of the leadoff spot, Halie Stoneking drove in three and belted her team leading 10th home run of the season.

Extending her consecutive game hit streak to 28 straight, Jaysa Anderson also had a pair of multi-hit games for a 5-for-7 afternoon with four runs batted in.

Reigning national and conference pitcher of the week Jessica Morgan improved to 8-2 with the game one victory behind six strikeouts with Jenna Henderson following with a two-hit, four strikeout game improving to 5-8 on the year.

Game One Recap
A leadoff single scoring on consecutive ground outs was the first run of the day and last for the Saints as Morgan locked down surrendering just another two hits the rest of the way and struck out six.

Anderson led off the Cougars' top of the second to extend her hit streak with the first of her three hits in the contest, scoring on Leslie Ramos' two-out single to tie it up.

Barton broke open the game in the fifth with seven runs, beginning with Stoneking's drive out of the park for her 10th of the year. Laci Dryden's single and Calli McConnell's walk ensued with Anderson's two RBI single putting the Cougars ahead for good. Kayden Smith's single loaded up the bags with Morgan's walk pushing in the fourth run.

Not done with two outs in the frame, Lani Dryden's single plated two more with Stoneking's ensuing hit driving in two for an 8-1 lead.

In the final sixth, McConnell's leadoff walk and Sydni Williams' double set up the frame with Anderson completing her three RBI game by driving the pair home on a single to seal the contest.

Game Two Recap
Laci Dryden sparked the Cougars' four-run opening frame lacing a triple to center, scoring one batter later on McConnell's first of three RBIs in the contest. Anderson's two-out single extended the frame, as well as, the hit streak to 28 straight to score on Smith's reach on error.

Henderson, who gave up just two hits in the game from the circle, helped her cause with a two RBI double closing out Barton's first at-bat with four runs.

Stoneking's second inning leadoff single in standing on third after a two-base Saints error from her scorched earth connection, trotted home an out later on McConnell's hit. Williams' first of two hits in the game followed, with Anderson's liner to the outfield plating the second run of the frame for a 6-0 lead.

The Cougars' scoring took a two inning hiatus before clinching the game with two more plate crossers with two-out in the fifth. Stoneking extended the frame with a single, Mikaila Herring reached on error, with McConnell and Williams delivering RBI singles closing out the 8-0 victory