GAME ONE
Seward battled back in the later innings to close the gap, but fell short to lose in the first game.
Barton scored first with a pair of runs in the first inning, but Seward tallied three runs in the third to take the lead. Emily Mojica had an RBI double and Cassandra Esquibel added a two-run single to give the Lady Saints the advantage at 3-2. Seward gave the lead right back in the top of the fifth when Barton scored six runs to open an 8-3 advantage.
Seward scored one run in the sixth and two in the seventh to draw within 8-6. After cutting the margin in half at 8-4 in the sixth when an error allowed Miranda Nester to score, the Lady Saints made one last gasp in the seventh.
After getting two runners on with one out, an error allowed Dazy Gomez to score and Miranda Nester to reach base. Nissy Lechuga drove in Jordan Cordrey with a sacrifice fly, but the Lady Saints could get no closer.
Esquibel drove in a pair of runs and Cordrey had three hits for the Lady Saints.
Cordrey took the loss for Seward, allowing eight runs, two earned, on seven hits, striking out seven, walking five and serving up a homer over seven innings.
GAME TWO
Alyssah Pontoja pitched well, but the Seward offense was quiet in the nightcap loss.
Pontoja allowed two runs, one earned, on seven hits, struck out none and walked two over seven innings in a tough-luck loss.
The Lady Saints struck first with a run in the third. With two outs, Miranda Nester singled and reached second on the throw. Nissy Lechuga followed with a single to center to score Nester and give Seward a 1-0 lead. That would be the lone run for Seward offense, which went silent the rest of the way.
After tying the game with a run in the fourth, the Cougars scored the go-ahead run in the fifth, thanks to a couple of Seward miscues. After a pair of errors and a walk loaded the bases with none out, a single drove in a run and gave Barton a 2-1 lead. The Lady Saints got out of the inning without any further runs being scored, but the damage was done.
Seward threatened one more time, but failed to capitalize after Lechuga led off the sixth with a single and Madeline Owen had a one-out single to put runners on first and second. Emily Mojica and Cassandra Esquibel followed with pop outs to end the inning. The Lady Saints went down in order in the seventh.
Lechuga and Esquibel both went 2-for-3 and Owen and Nester each added a hit to account for the six Seward hits.