Softball Continues Trend of Doubleheader Splits With Pair at Barton

GREAT BEND, Kan. – 15th ranked Butler softball battled first place Barton on Saturday at Cougar Field and came away with a split losing 6-5 in game one before winning 8-4 in game two.

Butler (15-5, 8-4) nearly completed a comeback in game one but rallied for a win over the Cougars (19-7, 13-1) to hand them their first conference loss of the season snapping a 13-game conference winning streak.

Butler struck first in game one as Claire Lopez delivered an RBI triple in the first inning to make it 1-0 Grizzlies. Barton responded with five unanswered runs to take a 5-1 lead. Butler trimmed the lead to 5-3 in the fifth on a Cougar error. Barton made it 6-3 in the sixth. Butler plated two in the top of the seventh on a Lopez RBI single and Chloe Cardona RBI double but could not plate the tying run. Chloe Odle (L, 5-2) suffered the loss allowing five earned runs on two hits, striking out four and walking six. Barton's Meleia Ingram (W, 10-3) threw a complete game allowing three earned runs, striking out five and walking three.

Getting off to a 5-0 lead in game two the Grizzlies were able to secure the 8-4 win. A Kylie Forney two run home run in the second inning followed by a Lopez two-run triple made it 5-0 Grizzlies. Barton cut the lead to 5-2 and later 7-4 but the Grizzlies always had an answer. Lopez drove in three runs finishing with three hits. Ellie Randall (W, 6-1) tossed a complete game allowing four runs in 7.0 innings striking out two and walking one.

TOP PERFORMERS GAME 1:

Claire Lopez (Olathe, KS): 2-4, 2 R, RBI, SB

Addy Ewing (Owasso, OK): 3.0 IP, 0 ER, 4 H, 1 K, 0 BB

TOP PERFORMERS GAME 2:

Kyrsten Moran (Little Elm, TX): 2-4, 3 R, SB

Claire Lopez (Olathe, KS): 3-4, 3 RBI

Kylie Forney (Andover, KS): 2-4, 2 RBI

NEXT UP:

Butler moves to non-conference play traveling to Parsons on Monday for a doubleheader with Labette.