By TODD MOORE
Barton Sports Info
The Barton Community College softball team stepped out of conference play Monday hosting Southeast Community College resulting in a split of results.
The Cougars jumped all over Southeast in the opener by scoring five in their first at-bat followed by another four tallies in the second to roll 11-2 in a five-inning shortened affair.
Game two was a different story as it took Barton six innings to get cranking, producing a five-run sixth before plating one but leaving the tying run at second in the bottom of the seventh as Southeast held on for the 8-7 victory.
The results leave Barton at 27-11 on the season with Southeast moving to 21-15.
Barton returns to conference action on Wednesday hosting Pratt Community College in a 1:00 p.m. first pitch followed by a Friday trip to Goodland taking on Fort Hays Tech Northwest.
Four Cougars collected multiple hits in the opener led by Peyton McCormick going 2-for-3 with 4 RBIs, three coming in the first frame on a 3-run fence clearer for her 10th of the season highlighting the five-run inning.
Picking up two hits in each of the contests, Morgan Thatcher's double plated a pair of runs in game one highlighting the Cougars' four-run second inning while two of Aly Lawrence's hits were of the two-bag variety including game two's sixth inning connection driving in Barton's sixth run drawing the Cougars to within 8-6.
Barton nearly pulled off the comeback in the nightcap, following the five runs in the sixth with plating another tally in the seventh on Karter Alvord's two-out RBI double scoring Elina Bartlett's leadoff single but would end up stranded at second base.
Meleia Ingram earned the game one victory, striking out seven improving to 15-4 on the season.
In game two, the Bobcats scored three in each of the third and fifth frames building a 7-1 advantage in sending Brooklynn Angielski to the loss dropping to 10-6 on the season. Alicia Goseland, who worked a scoreless fifth frame of the opener, closed out the nightcap's final three innings in allowing just one run to give the Cougars a chance at the comeback.
Laney Wood set the table at the top of the lineup with three doubles during her 3-of-5 twinbill with Alvord and Bartlett joining McCormick with three hits each across the pair of contests.
Ava Fink's lone hit was timely for the Cougars in the nightcap's sixth inning by delivering a 2-out, bases loaded 2-RBI double sparking the late comeback and five-run frame.