Butler rolls to five more wins at Cowtown Classic

The Butler softball team once again rolled to another undefeated weekend in Texas, going 5-0 on Friday and Saturday at the Cowtown Classic in Fort Worth.

The 11th-ranked Grizzlies opened play with a come-from-behind 7-3 win over Midland on Friday, then hammered five home runs (three by Kate James) in a 10-3 win over Trinity Valley before finishing the day with a 10-5 win over Hill College.

On Saturday, Butler beat Ranger for the third time this season with an 8-0 win. The Grizzlies then beat a solid North Central Texas team by an 8-2 score.

Butler was scheduled to finish the tournament with a game against Bossier Parish College from Louisiana, but the game was called due to weather just before it was to start.

Butler is now 9-0 on the season. The Grizzlies are now off for 10 days before playing their home opener on Feb. 19 at East Park against Northern Oklahoma-Tonkawa.

Butler 7, Midland (TX) 3

The Grizzlies fell behind 1-0 early, but tied the game on an RBI single by Kaitlyn Wolken and took a 2-1 lead an inning later on an RBI single by Tyler Casada.

Later in the game, Casada would hit a three-run home run and Wolken would hit a two-run home run.

Maggie Ham would throw a complete game to earn her third win of the season.

Butler 10, Trinity Valley (TX) 3

Once Butler started hitting home runs, the Grizzlies didn't stop. They hit five home runs in the win over Trinity Valley, with freshman Kate James hitting three in her first three at-bats. She also had an infield single to go 4-4 in the game.

Kaitlyn Wolken also had a home run, her second of the day and drove in another run with a double later in the game. Ashley Malone homered as well.

Mac Millspaugh threw three scoreless innings as the starting pitcher to get her first win of the season. Brittany Gustin threw four innings, allowing two runs in her first collegiate pitching appearance, to earn the save.

Butler 10, Hill (TX) 5

Butler starting pitcher Mac Millspaugh struggled a bit in the first inning against Hill, allowing two early runs in the top half of the inning. 

Butler's offense was quick to answer, though. In the bottom of the first, the Grizzlies got two runners on and both scored on a three-run home run by Tyler Casada.

The 3-2 lead lasted until the fourth inning, when Kate James hit her fourth home run of the day, a solo shot that made the score 4-2.

James would drive in a run later in the game, giving her seven hits in two games with six RBI.

Casada also had a run-scoring single in the game, giving her four RBI in the contest.

Ashley Malone and Kaitlyn Wolken both would single twice in later innings, each time driving in a run.

Mac Millspaugh allowed just three runs in five innings to get her second win of the day. Kelsey Berlin threw the final two innings, allowing two unearned runs as she finished out the game.

Butler 8, Ranger (TX) 0

Butler had easily handled Ranger twice the previous weekend and this game was no different. It was once again Kate James who jump started the Butler offense, hitting a two-run home run, her fifth of the tournament, in the first inning to make the score 2-0.

In the second inning, Ashley Malone got things going with a lead off home run, her second of the tournament. Butler would score six runs in the inning, including a two-run single by Sydney Stuever.

In the circle, starter Kelsey Berlin and reliever Brittany Gustin combined on the shutout, the second of the season for Butler.

Butler 8, North Central Texas 2

Butler faced perhaps its toughest test of the weekend from a team that came into the game with a 9-3 record and had been 5-0 to that point in Fort Worth.

The Grizzlies were held scoreless through the first three innings and trailed 1-0 after Celina Ortiz hit a solo home run off of Butler starter Maggie Ham in the top of the fourth.

As it had done throughout the tournament, the Butler bats responded immediately by scoring seven runs in the bottom of the inning. Tyler Casada batted twice in the inning, driving in a run with a hit each time.

Casada also drove in a run in her next at bat, giving Butler its eighth run.

Maggie Ham had the complete-game victory, striking out 12 North Central batters while allowing five hits. She improves her record to 4-0 on the season.