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Barton softball goes 3-1 in Arkansas
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HARRISON, Ark. — It was a pretty good weekend for the Barton softball team.
After dropping its opener first game of the weekend in Arkansas, the Cougars came roaring back to win the final three – including getting some revenge for that first loss.
Barton book ended the weekend with games against Southwest Tennessee, losing the opener by an 11-6 count then winning the finale, 7-4.
In between those games, Barton blanked Metro Community College by a 4-0 score and beat hometown North Arkansas, 10-0.
Things didn’t start well for the Cougars as Southwest Tennessee scored six runs in the bottom of the first inning the first game Friday. Barton was never able to catch the Saluqis after that.
The Cougars got it down to 6-3 with two runs in the top of the third. Lia Chan doubled in Betsy Parmley then scored on a Makayla Chavez single.
But SW Tennessee answered with two runs of its own in the bottom of the inning. The same was true in the fourth as Barton scored three times thanks to some errors, but gave up three in the bottom of the inning.
Things were different when the two met Saturday in the finale for the Cougars.
This time it was Barton that scored three times in the top of the first. Chan, Demi Kunkel and Chavez all drove in runs. But like the first meeting, the Saluqis answered with three in the bottom of the inning.
Barton took a 4-3 lead in the fourth on a Parmley double to score Kayli Dryden and took that lead to the seventh.
In the seventh, Barton extended the lead to 7-3. Chan tripled in Parmley and scored on a fielder’s choice.
Barton put a seventh run up when Bailie Stanley doubled home Audrianna Bender.
Ashlee Lucero picked up the win, improving to 2-1 on the year going the distance.
Karsyn Smith started the other three games, going to 2-1 to stand at 4-1 on the season.
The Cougars hammered North Arkansas Saturday morning, scoring seven times in the first two innings of the shutout win.
Chan and Brooke McCollough both went 3-for-4 with two RBI and three runs scored.
In the 4-0 win over Metro, Chan was again big. The sophomore third baseman drove in all four runs. In the first she hit a bases loaded triple to give Barton a 3-0 lead then added a seventh inning single to Kunkel.
Smith went all seven innings in the win, allowing just three hits and striking out five.
The Cougars will be home Tuesday to take on Cowley in a 1 p.m. doubleheader.

G1
SW Tennessee 11, Barton 6
Barton 012 30 – 6 10 3
SW Tenn 602 3x – 11 19 5
Smith, Lucero (1) and Kunkel; Upton and Cook. W – Upton. L – Smith (2-1). 2B – Chan, Barton; Johnson, Pugh, SW Tenn. 3B – Johnson, SW Tenn. HR – Bryant, SW Tenn.

G2
Barton 4, Metro 0
Barton 300 000 1 – 4 6 0
Metro 000 000 0 – 0 3 1
Smith and Kunkel; Nicas and Thompson. W – Smith (3-1). L – Nicas. 2B – Dryden, Barton; Jaggers, Metro. 3B – Chan, Barton.

G3
Barton 10, N Arkansas 0
Barton 100 010 300 – 5 9 3
N Arkansas 101 106 00x – 9 9 1
Smith, Henry (5) and Kunkel, Fagan (3); Plourde, Holmes (5) and Gilbert. W – Smith (4-1). L – Plourde. 2B – McCollough, Parmley, Barton; Franzel, N Arkansas.

G4
Barton 7, SW Tennessee 4
Barton 300 100 3 – 7 11 2
SW Tenn 300 000 1 – 4 9 2
Lucero and Kunkel; Johnson and Pugh. W – Lucero (2-1). L – Johnson. 2B – Parmley, Stanley, Barton; Pugh, SW Tenn. 3B – Chan, Parmley, Barton.