By TODD MOORE
Barton Sports Info
The Barton Community College softball team continues to take care of business in its lighter stretch of the schedule, posting 17-0 and 13-1 five inning victories Wednesday at Cougar Field over Pratt Community College.
Three home runs including a pair of grand slams highlighted the opener's big run output with four more long balls being added in the second game were amongst the 30 total hits in the 29-run twin bill differential.
Winners of seven straight, Barton improves to 17-3 in conference play and 24-13 overall while Pratt drops to 2-20 in league and 3-35 on the year. The Cougars' victories, along with the doubleheader split between Butler and Hutchinson, leaves the trio tied at three in the loss column with the 16th ranked Grizzlies leading the pack at 19-3 with the 15th ranked Blue Dragons are tied with Barton for second.
Next on Barton's schedule is four pivotal dates to help shape the conference race, beginning Friday in a make-up date at 4th place Colby (12-6) followed by Wednesday's trip to Hutchinson. The Cougars then return home on Saturday, April 15, for "Sophomore Day" hosting Colby before traveling to Butler on Wednesday, April 19. After the gauntlet, Barton closes out the home season April 26 hosing Dodge City then wraps up the regular season April 29 at Northwest Kansas Technical College.
In addition to the multitude of hits and runs, Kayla Beers and KayLee Richardson stymied the Pratt bats, combining for 12 strikeouts and six hits in the circle's ten innings. Beers improved to 5-1 in scattering a pair of hits and recording 7 strikeouts with Richardson completing the sweep on a 4-hit, career high 5 strikeout performance improving to 2-1.
Leadoff batter Halie Stoneking was kept off the basepaths just once, a lined out to centerfield to begin the day before going 6-for-6 the rest of the doubleheader including a triple and pair of home runs in driving in six.
Sydni Williams led the RBI production with seven, driving in two on a sac fly and a groundout before making the most of her two hits with a game one grand slam and a game two solo home run.
Barton connected on 17 extra base hits out of their thirty total including nine doubles led by the trio from Jenna Henderson and two from Calli McConnell, moving the freshman's total to 17 and one away from the program's top ten single season list.
A pair of program impacts were made during the cool, windy day on the home turf, Leslie Ramos wearing the badge of honor for the 13th time of the year for the most in a single season while Jaysa Anderson extended her program record games with a hit to 30 straight.
Coming up hitless in her first three at-bats in game one including a called strikeout to end the third inning, Anderson benefitted from the Cougars' seven run fourth inning in sending twelve to the plate giving the sophomore another chance. Liking the second pitch of the at-bat, Anderson sent a screamer right back where it came from in ricocheting off the Pratt pitcher for a solid hit. In game two Anderson put the suspense to bed on the third pitch of her first at-bat in launching a straight away center blast through the wind for her 9th fence clearer of the year to drive three across the dish for a 4-0 early lead.