By allowing ads to appear on this site, you support the local businesses who, in turn, support great journalism.
Cougars softball team falls to McCook twice
BCC plays Pratt on Monday at home
Placeholder Image

McCOOK, Neb. — Might as well come them the hard-luck Barton Community College Cougars softball team.

The Cougars lost a one-run game for the fourth time this season on Tuesday, thanks to a walk-off home run by McCook College in the 4-3 opener. McCook also won the nightcap 10-4, completing the sweep of the non-conference games.

Barton dropped a pair of Jayhawk West games eight days ago, 15-0 and 8-0, at Butler in games that were originally scheduled to be played at Great Bend. Due to the inclement weather, the teams switched home dates and the contest was played at El Dorado.

Barton is now 1-19 overall and 1-7 in the West. Barton will host Pratt Monday in a non-conference doubleheader at Cougars Fields.

Barton had leads in both games before losing. The Cougars took a 2-0 lead in the opening game in the top of the fourth when Christine Macias singled home Anna Voss and Alex Rodriguez.

The game stayed 2-0 until the bottom of the sixth when McCook rallied for three runs on four straight hits after the first two batters were retired. The Cougars tied the game at 3-all in the top of the seventh when Kristin Schartz, running for Abigail Olmedo, who singled to start the inning, scored on a grounder by Aleeya Ybarra. The game ended in the bottom of the sventhth on a two-out, tiebreaking solo homer by Ashalia Dyer.

Barton jumped out of the blocks quickly in game two, scoring three times in the top of the first with some clutch two-out hitting. The Cougars’ first three batters reached to load the bases but a force out at home and a strike out left the bases still full with two out.

Tessa Sterling came through with a single to left that scored Ybarra and Amanda Lanigan. Macias followed with a single to score Voss, giving Barton a 3-0 lead. The Cougars would give up four runs in the bottom of the inning, thanks in large part to a three-run homer by Dyer.

Barton wouldn’t score again until the sixth when Olmedo doubled and scored on a double by Chelsea Bauer. Bauer and Olmedo each had 3 hits for Barton.

The Cougars will now play their final 12 games of the regular season at home after switching home dates with Butler. Barton has non-conference games with Pratt and McCook and West games with all four foes – Garden City, Colby, Seward County, and Butler.