Offense Explodes in Game 1, Grizzlies Split at Hutchinson

HUTCHINSON, Kan. – Butler baseball got off to a strong start in Saturday's doubleheader at Hobart-Detter Field winning game one 20-10 over Hutchinson but came up just short in game two falling 7-6.

The two teams split the series 2-2 snapping a three-series win streak for the Grizzlies (23-17, 14-10). Butler remains ahead of Hutchinson (28-13, 10-10) in the conference standings with Butler in third and Hutchinson in fifth.

Game one was a slugfest with the wind blowing out throughout. Each team plated three runs in the first inning with Butler adding five second inning runs and Hutch four to make it 8-7 entering the third. Butler used six fifth inning runs to blow the game open taking a 16-8 lead. Shane Holman tossed a complete game moving his record to 7-0 on the season as he struck out six, walked one and allowed six earned runs in 13 hits. Five Grizzlies drove in multiple runs while forcing Hutch to use five pitchers.

The Grizzly offense struggled in game two, plating just two runs in the first eight innings of the game. Hutch built a 5-0 lead plating runs in each of the first four innings before the Grizzlies got on the board in the fifth as Brandt Beeby wore a pitch with the bases loaded making it 5-1. The Blue Dragons then used an AJ Mustow two-run home run, his second of the game, to lead 7-1 in the sixth. A Hutch wild pitch scored Cooper Rasmussen in the eighth to make it 7-2. The Grizzlies then rallied with two outs in the top of the ninth as Jackson Ellison doubled to score Rasmussen followed by Breck Romero hitting a towering three run home run, his second of the doubleheader to pull Butler within a run at 7-6. Alex Coester followed that up with a single and Holden Lough was hit by a pitch before Hutch changed pitchers and forced a Grizzly fly out to end the game. Butler used just two pitchers with Whitley Rhodes getting the start allowing five earned runs on seven hits, striking out four but allowing three home runs. Dayton Pelfrey tossed 2.2 scoreless innings of relief allowing a lone hit.

TOP PERFORMERS GAME 1:

Jaden Rose (Overland Park, KS): 5 R, SB

Cooper Rasmussen Temecula, CA): 3-3, 4 Rbi, 4 R, HR

Breck Romero (Montgomery, TX) 2-4, 5 RBI, HR, SB

Jackson Ellison (Wichita, KS): 2-5, 3 RBI, HR

Holden Lough (Spring Hill, KS): 4-5, 2 2B

Kaleb Nye (Wichita, KS): 2-4, 2 R

Shane Holman (Wichita, KS): Win (7-0), 7.0 IP (CG), 6 ER, 6 K's, 1 BB

TOP PERFORMERS GAME 2:

Breck Romero (Montgomery, TX) 2-4, 3 RBI, HR

Alex Coester (Girard, KS): 3-5

Dayton Pelfrey (Andover, KS): 2.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB

NEXT UP:

The Grizzlies host Coffeyville in a non-conference contest at McDonald Stadium on Tuesday afternoon at 3 p.m.