The Barton Community College softball team earned a split Wednesday afternoon at Cougar Field, dropping the opener 7-2 before responding with an emphatic 8-0 shutout of conference co-leader Colby Community College in the nightcap.
The results move Barton to 8-4 in Jayhawk Conference play and 16-14 overall, as Coly leaves Great Bend at 11-3 in league and 18-14 on the season. The Cougars return to action Saturday hosting Dodge City Community College for a 1:00 p.m. first pitch.
Unable to counter Colby's timely hitting in the opener, Barton flipped the script in game two behind a stellar performance in the circle from Ellie Crawford. The Hoisington freshman was in complete command, firing a one-hitter while allowing just one walk and striking out three in improving to 6-0 on the season. Backed by steady offensive production, the Cougars plated runs in four of their five at-bats to seize command early and never look back.
Battling through injuries, Barton received key contributions from its depth, turning opportunity into production. Addison Crockett delivered a breakout showing off the bench, collecting three hits across the twinbill including an RBI double, while Camryn Carlson notched her first collegiate hit in style with a double as part of a 2-for-3 performance in the nightcap.
Karter Alvord batted .500 across six plate appearances and launched her fourth home run of the season, leading off the fourth inning of game one.
Defensively, Barton flashed the leather throughout the afternoon. Chaylyn Boone highlighted the effort with a pair of run-saving plays in right field, including a fully extended grab in foul territory, while centerfielder Shaylee Spears added to the highlight reel with multiple defensive gems, capped by a strike to the plate to cut down a runner. Morgan Thatcher was equally impressive at the hot corner, turning away would-be base hits throughout the doubleheader.
Game One – Colby 7, Barton 2
Colby put Barton behind the eight ball in the third inning, stringing together five hits in the frame to plate a pair of runs before adding on in each of the final three innings. The Trojans extended their lead with a solo home run in the fifth before two more long balls in the sixth created further separation.
Barton's offense was limited to just six hits but made the most of its opportunities, as Alvord's solo home run leading off the fourth inning cut the deficit in half on her fourth long ball of the season.
Colby added insurance in the seventh, producing a pair of hits to open the frame and capitalizing on a Barton miscue in manufacturing two runs to help secure the 7-2 victory.
The Cougars closed out their scoring in their final at-bat as Crockett led off with her first collegiate hit and later came around to score on Carly Erpelding's RBI single.
Peyton McCormick (3-7) was tagged with the loss, striking out six with just two walks while allowing four runs over five innings. Trista Rogers worked the final two frames, surrendering two earned runs on four hits.
Game Two – Barton 8, Colby 0 (5 innings)
Barton wasted no time flipping the tone of the twinbill, striking for three runs in the opening frame to seize early control. Kahli Fields set the table reaching base, followed by Crockett's single and a Alvord walk to load the bases. Grace Hembree's base hit just inside the third base bag plated one, with Thatcher's two-run single following to cap the early surge.
The Cougars continued to apply pressure in the second, capitalizing on Carlson's leadoff double—her first collegiate hit—as Fields' aggressive baserunning helped manufacture another run. Barton extended its lead in the fourth taking advantage of Colby miscues, with Spears and Crockett each delivering RBI hits to push the margin further.
Closing in on the run-rule, Barton tacked on two more in the fifth behind Spears' two-run double, scoring Chaylyn Boone and Carlson to finish off an efficient offensive performance with runs in four of its five at-bats.
Meanwhile, Crawford was in complete command in the circle, allowing just a lone leadoff single in the third inning while facing just one over the minimum across five frames.