The Barton Cougar softball team picked up a conference split at Cougar Field winning the first 6-5 with the No. 15 Butler Grizzlies salvaging the split 8-4.
The opener's victory was the Cougars' 13th straight to open conference play with the game two loss sliding Barton back to 13-1 and 19-7 overall as Butler departs at 8-4 in league and 15-5 on the season.
Barton travels to Hutchinson (19-5, 13-1) Wednesday for the Jayhawk League lead.
Elina Bartlett and Laney Wood each collected three hits in their six at-bats, Barlett beginning the day with a 2-for-3 performance including a 3-run home run for her 3rd of the year with Wood also going 2-of-3 in the backend of the doubleheader extending her consecutive games with a hit to 19 straight.
Chloe Enslinger's delivered the Cougars' other fence clearer driving the second pitch of game one's second inning into the trees beyond the left field fence for the sophomore's 12th yard exiter of the season and 23rd of her career.
Meleia Ingram earned the complete game one victory scattering six hits and striking out five improving to 10-3 on the year.
Barton's season high four errors in game two didn't help matters in sending Brooklynn Angielski to 8-3 on the year on 3.2 innings of work and three unearned runs with Alicia Goseland allowing just one run in pitching a solid 3.1 innings of work.
COUGARS 6, GRIZZLIES 5-- A one-out Claire Lopez triple, scoring on an errant throw coming back to the infield, gave Butler the early lead lasting until two pitches into Barton's second frame at-bat as Enslinger's launch to the trees tied it up.
Chloe Odle (5-2) took the game one loss, walking four Cougars in the inning with Wood drawing a bases loaded free pass putting Barton up 2-1.
The margin grew to four in the ensuing third frame, Odle still struggling to find the zone walking Lawrence and Enslinger to begin the inning before one-out later Bartlett belted the first pitch to straight away center for her third of the year.
Butler got two back in the fifth as a hit by pitch and one-out single would score later in the inning on a passed ball and throwing error.
The Grizzlies returned the favor in the sixth inning in what would be the final difference maker as Morgan Thatcher's leadoff hit, advancing to third on a fielder's choice and infield error, was pushed home on Allyson McDougal's fielder's choice.
A one-out walk in the top of the seventh appeared to be stranded until Lopez' single up the middle extended the frame with Chloe Cardona cutting the deficit to one with an RBI double to left. Having struck out the first batter of the frame, Ingram regrouped to get the game ending punchout snapping Barton's three-game losing streak of the series.
GRIZZLIES 8, COUGARS 4 -- In Butler's previous three conference doubleheader splits, twice the Grizzlies rebounded from a game one loss in taking the nightcap and today made it three by scoring one in the first and four in the second for an early 5-0 lead.
The first of the Cougars' season high four errors helped the first tally get on the board, Moran reaching base on a bunt to end up on third via a wild throw to first to score on Lopez' ensuing sac fly.
In the second frame, another error allowed the leadoff to reach followed by Kylie Forney connecting on her sixth home run of the season. A single and two-out hit by pitch extended the inning with Lopez delivering another pair of runs across the plate on triple to left center.
Thatcher's leadoff hit followed by Wood's seventh of the double of the season began the Cougar third inning but needed a two-out base knock from Enslinger to salvage the frame with two runs.
Two-out connections delivered a two-run Butler answer in the ensuing fourth, Moran's leadoff single and stolen base scoring on Cardona's single up the middle. Throwing to the plate in an attempt to get the speedy Moran, Cardona advanced to second on the throw to easily score on Kim Yepez' ensuing double to left field.
Barton also plated two in the home half with two-outs, Bartlett's single advancing to second on a fielding error, being joined by Thatcher's reach via hit batsman and Wood's walk with McDougal's lone hit of the day finding right field to drive in a pair.
Following a scoreless fifth and sixth frame, another two-out Lopez connection delivered Caylee Mann's 1-out hit to close out the scoring.
Dragons down Cougars for first place
HUTCHINSON — Hutchinson's pitchers shut down the Barton Cougars' offense for a 6-0, 6-2 softball doubleheader sweep in a showdown for first place at the Fun Valley Sports Complex.
Hutchinson (21-5, 15-1 Jayhawk) takes first place over Barton (19-9, 13-3 Jayhawk). The Drgons travel to Seward County Sunday after sweeping the Saints 11-0 and 14-10.
Barton managed just four hits in the shutout opener as Hutchinson outhit the Cougars 18-12 on the day sending Meleia Ingram (10-4) to the game one loss with Brooklynn Angielski (8-4) taking the game 2 defeat.
Alicia Goseland allowed just two hits and one run giving the Cougars 4.3 solid frames in combined relief duties.
Elina Bartlett and Chloe Enslinger led Barton with three hits each, one in the opener followed by a pair of connections in game two.
Karter Alvord picked up all three of her hits in game two including plating Barton's lone runs, the first coming in the second frame following Bartlett's double in tying up the contest before a fourth inning single plated Enslinger's leadoff hit.
Barton's lead lasted into the fifth when three batters into the frame produced three runs, a leadoff bunt single scoring on a triple followed by a 2-run home run, before tacking on another pair of runs in the sixth on three hits.
In game one, a two-out hit put the first Hutchinson run on the board in their first at-bat. Two innings later, consecutive doubles sparked a four-run frame with another solo run being tacked on in the four
Barton 000 000 0 — 0
Hutchinson 104 000 x — 6
Ingram and. L—Ingram, 10-4.
Barton 010 100 0 — 2
Hutchinson 000 042 x — 6
Angielski and. L—Angielski, 8-4
JAYHAWK WEST
Hutchinson 17-1 23-5
Barton 15-3 21-9
Butler 12-4 19-5
Dodge City 11-7 19-17
Garden City 9-7 17-13
Seward 4-12 10-20
Colby 4-12 25-14
Pratt 4-14 7-23
Hays NW 0-16 0-24
3-26—Hutchinson 6-6, Barton 0-2; Butler 8-9, Pratt 0-0; Dodge City 12-10, Seward 3-6; Garden City 10-11, Colby 7-3
3-29—Hutchinson 16-22, Pratt 0-5; Butler 14-18, Hays NW 0-0; Dodge City 14-2, Colby 4-10
3-30—Barton 6-11, Seward 4-4
3-31—Butler at Cowley; Labette at Pratt
4-2—Colby at Barton; Hays NW at Hutchinson; Pratt at Seward; Dodge City at Garden City
