What’s the difference between the fourth and 14th game? The results of last week’s Bartlett-Bolton showdown could be a clue.
Bartlett, who has had much of their early season schedule washed out, were walloped by a Bolton squad with l0 more games under their belt 16-4 in a mercy-rule shortened contest. “Bolton is a good team,” Bartlett coach Katie Maroon said. “Anything can happen on any given night unfortunately things went there way on that night. Our focus is growing each game towards district tournament. This was just another game preparing us for district tournament. “
In the springtime version of the Battle of Bartlett, the Lady Panther pitchers couldn’t consistently find the strike zone and Bartlett batters had little luck manufacturing runs. Bolton jumped on top early using three singles and an error to manufacture a 3-0 lead at the top of the first. Bartlett answered when Zoey Nix scored on a Brittany Rice fielder’s choice to cut the deficit to two. It was 6-1 when Bartlett came to bat at the bottom of the third.
Two walks, an Abby Ripp single and a three-run triple by Mallory Young made it a contest but the Lady Panthers would pull no closer. Bolton scored four in the fourth on two walks, a pair of hits and an error and used four free passes and a hit batsman for six in the fifth to call the game early. Bartlett’s six sophomores can only hope the skies clear as they work towards district tournament play.
Aubrey Patton took the loss for the Panthers giving up 12 hits. She combined with Zoey Nix to walk eight in all. Nix did garner a pair of hits as did Mallory Young to lead the Panther offense. Bartlett will face Central and Craigmont this week before traveling to DeSoto County for tournament play.
