Butler flexes its muscle in shutout wins over Cowley softball team

Ranked No. 3 in the latest NJCAA Division I softball poll, the Butler Grizzlies ran their winning streak to 39 games in a row with a pair of shutouts over Cowley College Monday in El Dorado, KS. Butler (43-2) won the opener 6-0 before run-ruling the Lady Tigers 8-0 in game two.

Cowley, which is ranked 14^th in the latest NJCAA Division II poll, had just three hits in each game as they are now 31-15 on the season.

"We did not produce offensively like we could have," Cowley head coach Jenny Hoyt said. "We had more base runners in the second game, but could not get anything going throughout the lineup."

Micah North had two of Cowley's three hits in game one.

Butler's Izzy Erickson (15-1) struck out nine and did not walk a batter in the 6-0 win of game one. Shayna Espy led Butler's 12-hit attack by going 2-for-4 with a home run, double, and two runs batted in.

Lady Tiger sophomore Brooke Mason allowed 12 hits and six runs in six innings.

In game two, Butler's Maddie Redman allowed two hits in four innings to run her record to 19-0.

Lady Tiger sophomore Ashlynn Mercer took the loss as she allowed nine hits and eight runs in 3 1/3 innings.

Cowley will face another challenging doubleheader when they play at No. 7-ranked Highland Community College Thursday at 2 p.m. Highland (36-6) leads the Jayhawk East with a record of 21-3, while Cowley is 19-7.

"We have to have better at bats and challenge them more offensively," Hoyt said.