FSCC splits with Barton

Friday, February 27, 2015
Fort Scott head coach Kristin Schalk (with bow) talks to her players during the first game of Tuesday's doubleheader. The Greyhounds split with visiting Barton, handing the Cougars their first loss of the season in the opener. (Joe Kuns/Special to the Tribune)

Fort Scott Community College's softball team split with Barton, a Division I Jayhawk Conference-Western Division team, in a non-league doubleheader at the Betty Ruth Willard Complex Wednesday afternoon. The Greyhounds rallied to win game one, 9-8, in eight innings and hand the Cougars their first loss of the season. However, Barton rolled in the second game, 19-4.

Fort Scott (5-6) trailed 8-3 going into the bottom of the seventh inning of the opener after Barton scored twice in the top of the inning. Kaylee Bart started the rally with a leadoff single to shallow right field. Cheyenne Pierce pinch-ran and moved to second on a wild pitch, then K.C. Beardsley also hit a single. Ashley Lake's one-out bunt single plated Pierce. Elizabeth Clark singled to right. Beardsley scored when Kylie Wilson grounded into a fielder's choice at second that eliminated Clark.

Lake scored on Kristen Tyler's ground-rule double. Kalee Ewbank's single brought in Wilson and Tyler, tying the score.

In extra innings in junior-college softball, the inning begins with the runner who made the last out in the previous inning on second base. Bart, pitching for Fort Scott, didn't allow Barton's runner to advance from second as she got the side out in order in the top of the inning.

Lizzie Walz started the bottom of the eight on second for the Greyhounds. Bart bunted her over to third. Pinch-hitter Michaela Horn hit a line drive that glanced off Barton pitcher Holly Posegate, allowing Walz to score the winning run.

Ewbank drove in 3 runs for the 'Hounds wile Tyler brought 2 home. Ewbank was 2 for 4 at the plate.

Bart (3-1) allowed 5 earned runs on 8 hits and 3 walks with 6 strikeouts.

Fort Scott didn't get it's first hit until the bottom of the sixth, when the 'Hounds scored a pair of unearned runs off relief pitcher Kylie Everill.

Barton (9-1) scored 12 runs in the top of the third inning, belting three consecutive home runs -- a grand slam coming first. The Cougars also scored 4 in the top of the fourth on another grand slam and looked to invoke the 15-after-3 version of the run rule.

To the Greyhounds' credit, they rallied in the bottom of the inning. Tyler led off the inning with her second homer of the season. Then Pierce drew a walk and Horn hit a ground-rule double. Pierce scored when ball four to Walz was wild. Horn scored on another wild pitch. Beardsley scored Walz with a double.

The Cougars added three runs in the top of the fifth and kept the Greyhounds off the board in the bottom of the inning. That ended the game on the 10-after-5 version of the run rule.

The 'Hounds are scheduled to play a round-robin event at Rose State (Okla.) this weekend, weather permitting. They're scheduled to play a home Jayhawk Conference-Eastern Division doubleheader March 3 versus Highland.


Game One

Barton.................... 003 120 20 -- 8 8 1

Fort Scott................ 001 002 51 -- 9 9 1

Two out when winning run scored.

WP -- Bart (3-1). LP -- Posegate,

HR -- Barton: Everill (7th inn., 1 on, 2 out).

Game Two

Barton.................... 00(12) 43x x -- 19 16 0

Fort Scott................ 000 40x x -- 4 5 1

WP -- Bugner. LP -- Sutton (0-3).

HR -- Barton: Harper 2 (3rd inn., none on, 1 out; 4th inn., 3 on, 2 out), Ward (3rd inn., 3 on, 1 out), Everill (3rd inn., none on, 1 out). Fort Scott: Tyler (2, 4th inn, none on, none out).