The Barton Community College softball team was unable to recover from a pair of big innings Wednesday afternoon, falling 10-2 in five innings and 10-2 in six innings to Dodge City Community College in Jayhawk Conference play.
The losses drop Barton to 16-14 in conference play and 26-24 overall, while Dodge City improves to 21-7 in league action and 39-15 on the season. The Cougars will close out the regular season Saturday hosting Garden City Community College with a 1:00 p.m. first pitch and sophomore recognition scheduled between games.
Dodge City capitalized on timely hitting and extended innings, plating multiple crooked numbers in each contest while limiting Barton's offensive opportunities. The Conquistadors outhit the Cougars 17-8 across the doubleheader.
Laney Wood and Karter Alvord accounted for Barton's lone multi-hit performances on the day, with Alvord leading the way with a 2-for-4 outing. The sophomore blasted her 10th home run of the season, giving her 20 for her career—tied for 10th most in program history. Alvord also drew a walk, moving into a tie for 7th on the program's single-season list (26) and into a tie for 6th all-time with 42 career walks.
Game 1 – Dodge City 10, Barton 2 (5 inn.)
Barton grabbed the early edge as Wood opened the contest with a base hit and later scored on Carly Erpelding's RBI double for a quick 1-0 lead.
Dodge City answered immediately, using a leadoff walk and an infield error to spark a four-run first inning. A series of fielder's choices and a walk pushed across two runs before a base hit plated two more, giving the Conquistadors a 4-1 advantage.
The Cougars trimmed the deficit in the third as Wood tripled to lead off the frame and came home on Addison Crockett's sacrifice fly to make it 4-2.
Any momentum was short-lived.
Dodge City delivered the decisive blow in the fourth, erupting for four two-out runs. After appearing to strand a leadoff baserunner, a two-run home run extended the inning before a walk and single set up a two-run triple, stretching the lead to 8-2.
The Conquistadors added two more in the fifth, capitalizing on a pair of walks before a two-run triple ended the contest by run rule.
Peyton McCormick took the loss, allowing one earned run in a four-run first inning over one inning of work to fall to 6-12. Charley Wheeler tossed the final 3.1 innings, striking out four but allowing six runs on six hits and four walks.
Game 2 – Dodge City 10, Barton 2 (6 inn.)
Barton again struck first in the nightcap, this time via Alvord's leadoff home run in the second inning, her 10th of the season.
Dodge City quickly provided the equalizer in the home half, a leadoff walk scoring on a one-out double. The Conquistadors took control tacking on two more in the third on a two-run triple following consecutive leadoff hits. One inning later, Chloe Nelson's one-out solo home run pushed the gap out further at 4-1 headed to the fifth.
Barton showed life in the fifth as Morgan Thatcher drew a leadoff walk and McCormick followed with a base hit, both advancing on an error. Despite putting two in scoring position with no outs, the Cougars managed just one run on Kahli Fields' sacrifice fly.
The defensive momentum carried in the offensive home half resulting in three runs, a one-out walk and base hit scoring on Riley Moore's three-run homerun.
Barton threatened again in the sixth with walks from Erpelding and Alvord, but were unable to capitalize.
The Cougars' lone error of the game opened up Dodge City's bottom half of the frame, stringing together a hit and a pair of RBI knocks to bring the game to an early close.
Ellie Crawford suffered the loss, dropping to 10-2 on the season despite a solid outing of six strikeouts and just two walks. Dodge City's 10-hit performance ultimately proved too much to overcome.