DODGE CITY -- DODGE CITY — The Barton Cougar softball team saw its NJCAA tournament dream ruined by the Butler Grizzlies 6-5 Monday.
The Grizzlies qualified for the NJCAA tournament with a hard-earned 6-5 victory Monday after beating the Cougars 9-1 Sunday. The Cougars delivered 13 hits, but batted 7 for 23 with winners on base.
The Grizzlies (44-7) won five of six games against the Cougars.
Barton rallied with a 2-run seventh inning. Chloe Enslinger scored on Elena Bartrlett's single. Bartlett scored on Karter Alvord's single for a 6-5 score.
The Grizzlies prevented the Cougars (35-16) from their first NJCAA softball trip since 1993.
Butler led 3-0 when Jenna Jobe doubled in Claire Lopez and Lopez singled in Kyler Demel and Chloe Cardona.
Barton's Laney Wood scored on Allyson McDougal's third-inning groundout. Wood scored on Chloe Enslinger's fifth-inning single.
Kylie Forney doubled home Madison Nightengale to start Butler's 3-run fifth. Forney scored on Kory Schoenfeld's single. Cardona scored on a bases-loaded walk.
Wood drove home Mia Mascarena on a sixth-inning groundout.
No. 1 seed Butler routed Barton 9-1 in Sunday's first championship game. Monday's winner will advance to the NJCAA softball tournament at Arizona. The Grizzlies also swept the Cougars during the regular season.
The Cougars (35-15) will seek their first Region 6 Title since 2015 and fifth overall in program history.
The Cougars benefited behind a third consecutive fast start scoring four of their five runs during two-out first-inning rally while starting pitcher Meleia Ingram held the potent Broncbuster offense to just six hits and three runs.
COUGARS 5, GARDEN CITY 3 -- The first of Allyson McDougal's three singles and perfect 3-for-3 day at the plate kickstarted Barton's two-out four run opening frame. Chloe Enslinger's succeeding badge of honor generated the first run across on Peyton McCormick's double followed behind Elina Bartlett's three-run blast to straight away center for her ninth of the season capping the Cougars four run frame all coming with two-away.
Garden City broke through with their first run on a sacrifice bunt scoring the first of back-to-back leadoff singles cutting the magin to 4-1.
Unable to capitalize on a bases loaded one-out opportunity in the bottom of the second following Bartlett and Karter Alvord singles and Mia Mascarenas walk, the Broncbusters would draw within 4-3 with a run in both the fourth and fifth.
Stranding two of their 10 left on base after Alvord's one-out single and Morgan Thatcher's two-out walk in the fifth, the Cougars would break through with the insurance tally in the sixth as Aly Lawrence leadoff walk would make it a 5-3 game on McCormick's RBI hustling fielder's choice eliminating a possible inning ending double-play.
The Broncbusters drew the tying run to the plate in the seventh as a one-out walk would reach but Alvord's SportsCenter top-10 diving catch robbing Garden City of a possible single up the middle and Ingram's fifth strikeout of the afternoon shut down the rally attempt sending Barton onto the Region 6 Championship game.
Ingram went the distance for the 18th time this season, improving to 19-5 on the year scattering six hits, three runs with a walk and the five punchouts.
McDougal's 3-for-3 afternoon led a trio of Cougars with multi-hit performances helping Barton outhit the Broncbusters 8-6.
Bartlett led the RBI production with a trio on her three-run first inning home run going 2-for-4 while Alvord concluded the multi-hits with a 2-for-2 game.
COUGARS 2, HUTCHINSON 0 -- Barton Cougar pitcher Meleia Ingram twirled her second straight shutout over the Hutchinson Blue Dragons 2-0 in the Region 6 Tournament at Legends Field in Dodge City.
Barton (34-14) advances to Saturday's winner's bracket final against No. 4 seeded Garden City (28-20) after the Broncbusters upset the top-seeded Grizzlies of Butler 4-2. Meanwhile
Hutchinson (36-10) plays Dodge City in the consolation bracket.
Ingram followed Brooklyn Angielski's earlier performance with four no-hit hit innings before allowing her first single in the sixth and pair in the seventh finishing with just three hits scattered with three walks, a hit batsman and six strikeouts.
The shutout marks Ingram's fourth of the season and second straight against the Blue Dragons coming just five days prior at Cougar Field in the 3-0 victory, snapping the Cougars 17-game losing streak to Hutchinson.
Barton outhit the Blue Dragons 4-3 with three of their hits coming in the opening two-innings and other lone hit on Mia Mascarenas leadoff fifth inning single.
Just like in their opening round victory over Colby, the Cougars manufactured all their runs in one inning once again scoring their pair in the top of the second.
Peyton McCormick drew a leadoff walk with Elina Bartlett following with the first of Barton's two-straight hits. Karter Alvord broke the scoreless tie with the eventual game winning two-run double on the ensuing pitch for the 2-0 lead.
Hutchinson put runners at third base just twice in the opening frame and the home seventh with Ingram buckling down working around the bases loaded one-out jam with back-to-back fielder's choices in preserving the shutout.
COUGARS 5, COLBY 1 -- The Barton Cougars won its opening round game of the Region 6/Plains District Tournament Friday afternoon 5-1 over Colby Community College at Dodge City's Legends Park.
The Cougars did all their damage in their first at-bat sending 11 different batters to the plate producing four of their eight hits while benefitting off three walks and a hit batsman for a 5-0 first inning lead.
Seeded 3rd in the tournament, Barton improves to 33-14 on the year advancing to Friday evening's 6:00 p.m. winner's bracket contest with No. 2 seeded Hutchinson Community College (36-9). The Blue Dragons survived No. 7 seeded Seward County Community College 1-0 in their earlier contest. Colby now 30-26 on the year will look to keep their season alive meeting the Saints in the elimination contest also scheduled for 6:00 p.m.
The victor of the Barton and Hutchinson matchup moves on to Saturday's winner's bracket 4:00 p.m.semifinal against the winner of top seeded Butler Community College and No. 4 Garden City Community College.
Aly Lawrence's one-out solo-shot to straight away center for her fifth of the season opened the scoring.Elina Bartlett's double four batters later increased the lead to 3-0 scoring Allyson McDougal's single and Peyton McCormick's two-out walk. Karter Alvord's ensuing RBI single added a fourth run with Laney Wood's bases loaded walk capping the five-run inning.
Barton had a pair of prime scoring opportunities but came up empty in the second leaving the bases loaded and stranding McDougal's leadoff triple to open the fourth.
In the circle, Brooklynn Angielski tossed four perfect innings before back-to-back leadoff singles in the fifth formed Colby's lone run of the game coming off the third Trojan single in the frame. Following the fourth single of the inning, the sophomore worked out of the jam with a strikeout and groundout keeping Colby to just one run.
Angielski improved to 12-7 on the season tossing her eighth complete game of the season, scattering six hits, one run with a pair of strikeouts.
