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Barton softball splits Jayhawk contests with Colby
spt deh bcc softball pic
COURTESY PHOTO Bartons Erica Harper waits for a pitch in the first inning Monday against Colby. Harper homered in the at-bat as part of a big day for the sophomore outfielder. The Topeka native was named NJCAA Player of the Week for her efforts last week. Barton split the Jayhawk doubleheader with Colby.

It was about one week later that scheduled but the Barton Community College softball got its Jayhawk Conference season started Monday afternoon at Cougar Fields.
The Cougars split games with Colby, losing the opener to the Trojans 6-4 in the opener then winning the second game by a 9-4 margin. Barton is now 15-4 overall and 1-1 in the conference while Colby stands at 9-6 and 1-1.
Barton ran into trouble late in the opening game preventing them from a sweep of the Trojans.
The Cougars had built a 3-1 lead in the game heading into the sixth inning.
Barton took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first on Erica Harper’s fifth home run of the season - a 2-out solo shot to left. Harper, the NJCAA Player if the Week last week, struck again in the third. Colby had tied the game at 1-all in the top of the inning but Harper gave Barton the lead back in the bottom of the with a double to score Braydee Bakovich.
Barton made it 3-1 on Harper’s third RBI of the game - this time an infield single to score Bailey Hensley in the fifth.
Colby, though, scored three times in the sixth and twice more in the seventh to take a 6-3 lead. Barton rallied in the bottom of the final inning, scoring once but left the tying run at the plate.
The Cougars jumped to another early lead in the second game and this time didn’t let it slip away.
The Cougars took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first. Kylie Everill doubled in Hensley followed by an RBI single from Holly Posegate to score Briana Ward.
Barton extended the lead to 5-0 in the third when Hensley hit a bases loaded triple to right. Posegate, Lili Ertmann and Bakovich scored on the hit.
Colby cut it to 5-3 on a Johnson home run in the fourth but Barton responded in the bottom of the fifth.
Everill’s second double of the game scored Ward then Harper scored on a Colby error to make it 8-3. Barton rounded out the scoring when McKenna Mauler crossed home on a Hensley single in the sixth.
Hensley ended the game with four hits and five RBI. Bakovich had three hits and Everill the two run-scoring doubles. Taylor Bugner improved to 6-1 on the season, striking out eight and allowing just one earned run on six hits.
Barton is back in action today at Liberal to take on Seward County as the conference season picks up its pace.