By TODD MOORE
Barton Sports Info
The Barton Community College softball team bounced back from a disappointing doubleheader split last time on the field to pick up an impressive run-rule pair of victories Wednesday at Dodge City Community College.
The Cougars put up 11 runs in the second and third inning of the opener to end it 11-3 in five innings before scoring four in the sixth frame of game two to complete the conference road sweep 8-0.
Barton improves to 9-3 in conference play and 15-12 on the season while Dodge City drops to .500 in league and overall at 7-7 and 14-14.
The Cougars have their next three doubleheaders at 1:00 p.m. on the home turf of Cougar Field beginning Saturday in a conference twinbill versus Northwest Kansas Technical College followed by Monday's non-conference hosting of Cowley College before returning back to conference play on Wednesday against Garden City Community College.
Barton's pitching staff combined for 19 strikeouts in the eleven innings, Jenna Henderson improving to 3-7 behind a career high 7 punchouts followed by Jessica Morgan striking out a season high 11 for the second consecutive game improving to 6-2.
Offensively the consecutive game hit streak continued for Jaysa Anderson and Halie Stoneking.
Anderson left Dodge City with her now 20 straight game hit streak, extending it in the opener on a second inning double sparking the Cougars' 6-run frame with two outs then drove in Barton's first run on a two-out first inning single.
Batting .571 at the top of the lineup in the pair of games, Stoneking drove in five runs in game one, driving in two on a two-out second inning single before belting a three-run home run in the third putting Barton up 11-2. Driving in three more in game two, the sophomore was 0-2 before crushing her team leading 8th home run of the year leading off the 5th inning before a 2-RBI double in the 6th inning putting Barton up 7-0 completing her now 16-game hit streak.
Sydni Williams and Ireland Cotton each went .500 on the afternoon, Williams going 3-for-6 with three RBI's including her 5th home run of the year following Stoneking's leadoff dinger in the fifth with a two-out solo shot while Cotton went 2-for-4 in game two driving in two.