Barton softball jumps early but falls twice to Butler in conference twinbill #GoBarton

The Barton Community College softball team produced early fireworks Saturday afternoon at Cougar Field, but Butler Community College answered with plenty of power of its own, rallying for a 17-12 extra-inning victory in the opener before completing the twinbill sweep with an 11-3 nightcap decision in Jayhawk Conference play.

The results move Barton to 5-3 in conference play and 13-11 overall, while Butler improves to 4-2 in the Jayhawk and 6-8 on the season. The Cougars will look to rebound Wednesday traveling to Seward County for a 1:00 p.m. conference doubleheader.

Game One – Butler 17, Barton 12 (9 innings)
Barton appeared firmly in control early in the opener, erupting for eight runs in the bottom of the first inning. Laney Wood opened the frame with a single before Kahli Fields followed with a base hit and Carly Erpelding reached on an error to load the bases.

Peyton McCormick's fielder's choice plated the first run before Addison Jones delivered an RBI single. Karter Alvord then ripped a two-run double to center field and Ella Pomme followed with a two-run single. The inning's exclamation point came moments later when Shaylee Spears launched a two-run homer to left field for her first collegiate home run, staking the Cougars to an 8-0 lead.

Butler began chipping away in the third as Lizzy Lasey connected for a two-run homer before the Grizzlies struck again in the fourth. After a double by Lasey, Emillee Stofferahn belted a three-run homer trimming Barton's lead to a single run.

The Cougars answered in the bottom half of the fourth with three runs of their own as Alvord, Pomme, and Spears each delivered RBI singles, pushing the margin back to four at 11-7.

Butler again answered, cutting the deficit in the sixth before tying the contest in dramatic fashion in the seventh. A sacrifice fly brought the Grizzlies within three before Tatum Steiner launched a three-run homer to center field, evening the score at 12-12.

The visitors seized control in the ninth as Addison Chapman connected on a two-run homer before Butler added three more runs on a pair of long balls to complete the comeback victory.

Spears paced Barton's bottom third of the lineup, combining for three of the group's seven hits and driving in three runs including her first collegiate home run. Alvord finished 2-for-4 with a double and three RBIs, while Pomme also produced a pair of hits and drove in three runs.

Ellie Crawford worked the first 5.2 innings, striking out four while allowing eight runs. Trista Rogers handled the final 3.1 frames, taking the loss to fall to 0-1 on the season.

Game Two – Butler 11, Barton 3
The nightcap began with Butler capitalizing on Barton miscues, scoring four runs in the second inning aided by a pair of errors.

Barton answered in the bottom half as Morgan Thatcher and Grace Hembree each singled before Alvord blasted a three-run homer to left field, her second of the season, pulling the Cougars within a run at 4-3.

Butler slowly rebuilt its lead in the middle innings, plating two runs in the fourth before breaking the game open with a four-run sixth inning highlighted by a solo homer from Haely Hagemann and a string of RBI singles.

Lizzy Lasey added another long ball in the seventh as Butler closed out the 11-3 victory.

Thatcher led Barton with two hits, while Alvord's three-run homer provided the Cougars' biggest offensive highlight of the nightcap.

Charley Wheeler took the loss to fall to 6-5 on the year, allowing ten runs on ten hits with seven earned as defensive miscues added to the damage. McCormick hurled the final 1.2 innings, surrendering one run while striking out two.