It was a pretty successful 8-game home stand for the Barton softball team.
The Cougars wrapped up the 8-game, 10-day stretch with a sweep of Independence Wednesday afternoon at Cougars Fields.
Barton won the opener, 5-3, then completed the sweep with a 10-1 win in six. Barton closed out the home stand with a 7-1 mark.
The Cougars are now 18-9 overall but more importantly 12-2 in the Jayhawk East. Barton is currently in a duel for the top spot along with Butler.
Butler had a similar day Wednesday, scoring twice in the bottom of the seventh to beat Hutchinson in the first game then picking up a run-rule win in the second. The Grizzlies lead the East at 9-1. Indy is a distant third with a 4-6 conference mark.
Barton overtook Indy during the fourth inning in the opening game for the win. Maggie Schuetz hit a 2-run homer and Jayden Solberg followed with a solo shot give Barton a 4-2 lead.
The Cougars added a run on a Brooke McCollough RBI single in the fifth.
Tia Kohl was solid in the circle, going six innings and striking out eight to improve to 8-3. Karsyn Smith earned the save, her first of the year.
The Cougars slowly pulled away in the second game, scoring in every inning but the first on the way to the win.
Parmley slugged her team-leading eighth home run of the year – a 2-run shot in the bottom of the fourth to give Barton a 5-1 lead.
The game ended in the bottom of the sixth when Demi Kunkel belted 3-run homer to give Barton the run-rule win. She finished the game with four RBI.
Jaelyn Carter drove in three runs on a pair of hits, including a 2-run single in the second to give Barton a 2-1 lead.
Emma Horsch gave up just a second inning run while striking out nine to improve to 5-3.
Barton will hit the road this weekend. The Cougars will play two in Garden City Friday then two more at Seward County on Saturday.
G1
Barton 5, Indy 3
Indy 002 001 0 – 3 5 0
Barton 100 310 x – 5 7 0
Dunagan, Mensink (4) and Bryant; Kohl, Smith (7) and Schuetz. W – Kohl (8-3). L – Dunagan. S – Smith (1). 2B – Hollis, Indy; Carter, Parmley, Barton. HR – Oritz, Indy; Schuetz (2), Solberg (5), Barton.
G2
Barton 10, Indy 1
Indy 010 000 – 1 4 0
Barton 021 223 – 10 11 1
Mensink, Dunagan (3), Hayes (5) and Ortiz; Horsch and Kunkel. W – Horsch (5-3). L – Mensink. 2B – Sharples, Barton. HR – Parmley (8), Kunkel (4), Barton.