The Barton Community College softball team came up just short in the opener before riding a late swing from Carly Erpelding to salvage a doubleheader split Saturday afternoon at Colby Community College, falling 7-5 before rebounding for a 6-4 victory.
The results leave Barton at 16-12 in conference play and 26-22 overall, while Colby moves to 16-11 in league action and 25-24 on the season. The Cougars remain on the road Wednesday for a 1:00 p.m. first pitch at Dodge City Community College before closing out the regular season Saturday hosting Garden City Community College.
Held in check through the first four innings of the opener, Barton mounted a late push with three runs in the fifth and two more in the seventh but came up just short. In the nightcap, the Cougars jumped out to an early two-run lead before trailing into the final frame, where Erpelding delivered the decisive blow with a go-ahead grand slam.
Erpelding's blast marked her second home run of the game and team-leading 12th of the season, finishing 4-of-5 across the twinbill to pace the Cougars offensively. Laney Wood also produced a four-hit day, collecting two hits in each game including a pair of doubles.
Ellie Crawford picked up the game two victory to improve to 10-1 on the season, while Peyton McCormick took the opener loss, slipping to 6-11.
Game 1 – Colby 7, Barton 5
Colby used a pair of early multi-run innings and held off a late Barton push to take the opener 7-5.
The Trojans struck first in the second inning, capitalizing on a leadoff single before Kylan Sorenson delivered a two-run home run to center. Colby doubled up its lead an inning later, stringing together a leadoff walk and single before Briley Christensen drove the pair home on a double.
Barton was held in check through the first four innings, although threatened in the third but a bang-bang play at the plate with one-out took the wind out of the rally as the Cougars would strand two in the frame.
The Cougars broke through with a three-run fifth inning. Grace Hembree's leadoff hit was followed by consecutive RBI doubles from Wood and Addison Crockett, with Erpelding's run producing single trimming the deficit to 4-3.
Colby answered immediately in the bottom half, taking advantage of a leadoff hit and walk to score three in the inning on a groundout, bunt single, and an error to extend the lead back to 7-3.
The Cougars mounted one final push in the seventh, loading the bases on Hembree's leadoff hit followed by one-out Crockett hit by pitch and Erpelding walk. McCormick's deep drive to right was misplayed, allowing two runs to cross but the Cougars were unable to take advantage of their final two outs in falling short of the comeback.
McCormick took the loss after allowing four runs over two innings, dropping to 6-11 on the year, while Charley Wheeler worked the final four frames, surrendering three runs while striking out five.
Game 2 - Barton 6, Colby 4
Erpelding delivered a pair of home runs, including a go-ahead grand slam in the seventh inning, to lift Barton to a 6-4 victory in the nightcap.
Erpelding's two-out solo shot gave the Cougars an early advantage, adding to its lead in the third following Hembree's leadoff hit followed by Wood's double setting up McCormick's RBI fielder's choice for a 2-0 edge.
Colby responded in the bottom half of the third with a pair of unearned runs, capitalizing on a Barton error to tie it up on a groundout and base knock. Two innings later, the Trojans then took the lead, pushing across a leadoff walk and hit with its same run producing combination as earlier to move in front 4-2.
Going down in order in the sixth, Barton received some help on a Colby error allowing Hembree to reach, before back-to-back singles by Wood and Shaylee Spears loaded the bases. Dialed in on the first pitch she saw, Erpelding launched a towering shot to left center for the grand slam, flipping the game and putting the Cougars in the driver's seat up 6-4.
Following a pair of groundouts to begin the home half, an infield error extended Colby's hope by Wood tracked down a deep drive in the left-center gap to preserve the victory.
In a complete-game effort, Crawford scattered five hits and issued just one walk while striking out three, improving the freshman to 10-1 on the season.