By TODD MOORE
Barton Sports Info
Tuesday's conference battle in El Dorado swayed one-sided as the Barton Community College softball team dropped a pair of losses at No. 16 Butler Community College.
Hitting into three double plays in the opener and giving up a six-run frame provided too many hurdles to battle back from as Butler won 10-4 to snap the Cougars' modest four-game win streak.
In the nightcap, Barton's high powered offense was kept in check on just five hits while the Grizzlies pounded out twelve, eight coming in the fourth inning producing eight runs breaking it open leading to an 11-5 shortened final.
The losses send Barton to third place in the conference standings at 24-6 and 31-13 overall while Butler takes over sole possession of second at 23-5 and 34-6 on the season.
Mathematically still in the title chase but needing some outside help, Barton can at least affect the top spot of the standings in Saturday's regular season finale honoring its sophomores, hosting first place Hutchinson Community College (25-3, 33-7) in a 1:00 p.m. doubleheader.
Barton was outhit on the afternoon 22-15, with half of the Grizzlies' hits connecting for extra bases including three home runs in the opener and seven doubles across the two contests.
Nearly half of the Cougars' hits came from the top two of the lineup, Laney Wood getting all three hits in the opener including her 3rd home run of the season with Aly Lawrence following in the lineup with a team best 4-of-7 performance. After the duo, the meat of the Barton lineup was held in check going just 4-of-20 with a sac fly being the lone run producer, as the lower third produced four hits being led by Karter Alvord's pair of connections.
Game 1 Recap
Barton got off to a good start behind Wood's leadoff homerun but the Cougars were rolled up into double plays in three of the first four innings preventing runs reaching the scoreboard.
Butler reclaimed the lead in the second as a leadoff double and infield error helped spark a three-run frame for 3-1 advantage.
The Cougars would get one back in the top of the third as Mia Mascarenas' leadoff walk and Morgan Thatcher's sac bunt set up Wood's RBI hit. Lawrence and Allyson McDougal hits loaded the bases but the Grizzlies rolled up the twin killing ending the threat.
A 1-out Peyton McCormick walk and Alvord single showed promise in the fourth inning but again the Cougars were their own worst enemy in lining out for the frame's ender.
A pair of hit batsman along with four hits produced six runs in the home half, the big blows coming back-to-back on a grand slam and solo shot for a 9-2 Butler lead.
Thatcher's 12th badge of honor followed by Wood's third hit set up a two-run answer in the fifth, Lawrence driving in one on a double and Chloe Enslinger's sac fly. Butler countered in the sixth by getting one of the runs back on their third home run of the game closing out the scoring.
Meleia Ingram's 3.1 innings in the circle took the loss dropping to 16-5 after eight hits with eight runs scoring, Alicia Goseland hurling the final 2.2 frames surrendering two hits.
Game 2
Similar to the opener, Barton got off to a promising start behind Wood's leadoff walk followed by Lawrence's single but lightning struck again as the Cougars hit into their fourth twin killing of the day.
The Cougars returned the double-dip rolling up in the home half, regaining momentum following leadoff hits from Elina Bartlett and McCormick to get a Mascarenas' sac fly taking the early lead.
The advantage only lasted until the third when Butler struck for three tallies, a leadoff double setting the stage with a 1-out hit-by-pitch, double, and single putting the Grizzlies on top 3-1.
Butler's bats stayed hot for the ensuing fourth, rolling through three Barton pitchers in plating eight runs on eight hits ballooning the margin to run-rule territory.
Following the second inning, Barton was held to just two additional hits in finishing with five total. Both knocks came in the last frame of at-bats, Alvord's leadoff single followed by Mascarenas' hit, leading to just a Thatcher RBI groundout in falling short of extending the contest.
Brooklynn Angielski took the loss dropping to 11-7 on 2.2 frames of work and seven runs, Goseland's one inning yielding three hits and four runs, with McCormick getting the final out.