By TODD MOORE
Barton Sports Info
Dropping game one 5-2 Wednesday afternoon at Cougar Field, the Barton Community College softball team bounced back with a five inning 9-1 victory in splitting its conference doubleheader hosting 13th ranked Butler Community College.
The game two victory snapped a 16-game losing streak to the Grizzlies and the first home win in the series since 2016 to break a 12-game home drought.
The split leaves Barton at 7-3 in conference play and 12-11 overall with Butler left at 8-2 in league and 15-7 overall.
Next up for Barton, barring weather alterations, will be Saturday at 1:00 p.m. hosting Hesston College before returning to conference play Wednesday at Dodge City Community College.
A pair of Cougars extended hitting streaks on Wednesday, the Cougars' leading hitter Jaysa Anderson collecting a double in the opener before launching a first inning grand slam getting Barton off to a 4-0 start in notching her 16th straight game with a hit. Halie Stoneking, who led the Cougars going 3-of-6 out of the leadoff spot, connected on a game one 7th inning homerun to extend her streak before following with a 2-of-3 performance in the back end of the doubleheader including a second inning fence clearer for her team leading 6th of the year.
Jenna Henderson kept the Cougars in the opener, allowing nine hits and striking out five in sliding to 2-6 on the year but the team was overpowered by the Grizzlies' Allyson Montgomery in striking out 17 and allowing just five hits improving to 8-2 on the year.
Sydni Williams earned the game two win improving to 2-1 on the year by striking out four and allowing just two hits with Emma Koeneke taking the loss in dropping to 6-4.