The Barton Community College softball team opened its 2026 season today in Sanger, Texas, completing a doubleheader sweep of North Central Texas College with a 17–0, five-inning victory in the opener before grinding out a 6–3 win in ten innings in the nightcap.
Barton’ runs came on 20 hits across the two games, drawing 13 total walks while scoring in every inning of the opener. After building an early cushion in Game 2, the Cougars were forced to respond to a late NCTC rally, regrouping in extra innings to secure the sweep.
The Cougars now head back north with a stop in Tishomingo, Oklahoma, on Thursday for a 12 p.m. doubleheader against Division II No. 1-ranked Murray State College.
In the circle, Barton received a pair of steady performances beginning with freshman Charley Wheeler, who tossed a shutout in the opener, allowing just three hits over five innings. In Game 2, Peyton McCormick went the distance in a ten-inning effort, allowing just one earned run. Making just seven appearances and logging 11.1 innings in the circle last season, the sophomore carried a one-hitter into the seventh while scattering four hits in a workmanlike performance.
At the plate, Laney Wood led Barton across the doubleheader, going 6-for-9 with three extra-base hits, three RBI, and four runs scored from the leadoff spot. Morgan Thatcher delivered timely production, finishing the day with four RBI, including a two-run double in Game 2 and the two-run single that broke the tie in the 10th inning. Carly Erpelding matched Thatcher with three hits and four RBI, driving in three runs on two extra-base hits highlighted by a bases-clearing triple in the opener.
Game 1 Recap
Barton scored runs in every inning, taking control immediately by drawing five walks to begin the game and scoring four runs while sending ten hitters to the plate. Erpelding and McCormick produced RBI walks, with Karter Alvord‘s fielder’s choice pushing across another run.
Wood’s double sparked a four-run second inning, followed by Mollie Steiner‘s sacrifice fly and an RBI single from Horton, before a two-run NCTC error stretched the lead to 7–0.
Steiner’s two-bag RBI highlighted a six-run third inning, following hits by Thatcher and Wood, with McCormick drawing her second RBI walk and Erpelding lacing a bases-clearing triple to push the advantage to 13–0.
The Cougars produced one tally in the fourth, Horton’s single driving home Wood’s triple, as two more runs would cross in the fifth frame on Wood’s connection pushing across Erpelding’s leadoff double with Shaylee Spears‘ free pass eventually scoring on a passed ball to close out the scoring.
Wheeler’s debut retired the first seven batters faced until a Lions one-out single halted the stretch. NCTC managed another hit in the fourth and a leadoff fifth inning connection before Wheeler struck out the final two batters preserving the shutout.
Game 2 Recap
Barton struck first in the top of the second inning, capitalizing on a walk and an error before Thatcher delivered a two-run double, scoring an out later on Wood’s third RBI of the day.
That margin held into the fifth as McCormick worked through traffic in the circle, but a pair of leadoff walks followed by consecutive sacrifice bunts trimmed the deficit to 3–1.
NCTC forced extra innings in the bottom of the seventh, taking advantage of a pair of singles and a two-run error to tie the game at 3–3, but McCormick induced a fly out ending the threat at third base to send the contest into extras.
After scoreless eighth and ninth innings, Barton broke through in the top of the 10th, beginning with a trio of singles to open the frame in loading the bases. McCormick helped her cause leading off with the first, Erpelding and Chalyn Boone following before Alvord delivered a sacrifice fly for the game winner, with Thatcher tacking on insurance with a two-run single to extend the advantage to 6–3.
NCTC put the leadoff runner on in the bottom of the 10th, but McCormick and the defense closed the door with a fly out, a line out, and a ground ball to secure the extra-inning win and complete the sweep.
