Part one is in the books. The record books for that matter. The Barton softball team concluded a record-setting regular season with a sweep of Jayhawk West games at Pratt Monday afternoon in Lemon Park.
The wins to close the books on the regular season and gave the Cougars a 48-6 record, breaking the old mark for wins of 44.
Barton held off the Beavers in the opener by a 4-2 score then cruised to an 8-0 run-rule win in the second game. Barton finished the West schedule with a 19-5 record, good for second place. Pratt finished 13-29 overall and 7-17 in the West.
Barton will take the second seed into the upcoming Region VI tournament starting Friday in El Dorado. Barton will open with seventh seeded Garden City, which did not win a conference game this year at 0-24 and are 8-38 overall.
In the regular season finale Monday, Barton jumped to a 2-0 lead in the opening inning when Jayden Gonzales singled in Cadie O’Donnell and Hosey later drove in Gonzales.
Barton made it 4-0 in the third when freshman Brittany Wood hit her 17th home run of the season – a 2-run shot to right-center that scored O’Donnell.
Pratt cut the lead in half in the fourth then threatened in the seventh as well. The Beavers loaded the bases against freshman standout Madison Didion but she struck out the final two batters to preserve the win. Didion improved to 25-3 with the win.
Barton was clinging to a 2-0 lead in the nightcap when the Cougars exploded for six runs in the fourth inning.
Wood’s 18th home made it 2-0 in the third. Wood also had an RBI in the opening inning and drove in two more with a bases loaded single in the fourth to make it 6-0.
She ended the game 3-for-3 with four RBI and two runs scored. Holly Posegate had two hits and O’Donnell scored twice.
Posegate also picked up the win pitching the shutout to improve to 22-3.
Barton and Garden will play Friday at 5 pm in the third and final game of the day. If Barton wins the Cougars will play at 1 pm Saturday against the winner No. 3 Colby and No. 6 Pratt. A loss would put Barton in the 9 am game Saturday.
The double-elimination tournament will wrap up Sunday afternoon.