No. 1 Butler ends regular season undefeated in conference play
The Butler softball team capped a perfect 16-0 conference season with a sweep of Seward County on sophomore day Monday afternoon at East Park.
Butler, ranked #1 in the NJCAA Division I poll, defeated the Saints 7-1 in the opener, then held off a late Saints' rally for a 9-6 victory to finish Jayhawk West play undefeated. With the two wins, the Grizzlies extended their winning streak to a season-high 22 games and finish the regular season 45-2 overall.
The next action for the Grizzlies will be in the Region VI Division I tournament this weekend at Wichita State University. As the top seed in the five-team bracket, the Grizzlies will face the Colby/Barton winner in a 2 p.m. contest on Saturday.
Game 1 - Butler 7, Seward County 1
The Grizzlies wasted no time taking the lead in the opening game, as Butler scored three runs in the first inning.
Kaitlyn Wolken drove in the game's first run with an RBI double to left field to score Dominica O'Nelio. Two batters later, Ashley Malone hit a two-run home run that barely cleared the right-field fence.
Butler took a 6-0 lead in the third inning when Kate James blasted her 21st home run of the season - a three-run shot that went over the left field scoreboard.
Sophomore pitcher Maggie Ham dominated the Saints hitters, allowing just one hit while improving to 24-1 overall on the season. Ham pitched all seven innings and didn't allow the hit until the sixth inning, which led to Seward's only run of the contest. Ham struck out eight batters and walked two.
Sydney Stuever, Dominica O'Nelio and Ashley Malone all finished with two hits each for Butler, who had 11 total hits in the game.
Game 2 - Butler 9, Seward County 6
Butler opened the scoring in the second when Ashton Atwell led off the inning with a solo home run. Kelsey Berlin followed with a walk, then pinch runner Caitlin Coody stole second and third. The Grizzlies took a 2-0 lead when Tyler Casada drove Coody home when a misplayed ball by Seward's Becky Allen.
Seward scored three runs off starter Mac Millspaugh in the third inning, but the Grizzlies quickly answered back with a five-run spot in the bottom-half of the frame. After consecutive singles by Kaitlyn Wolken and Kate James to lead off the inning, Ashley Malone hit a two-run double to left-center to give Butler a 4-3 lead. Two batters later, Coody hit an RBI double to score Malone. Casada and Sydney Stuever added RBIs to pad the Grizzlies' lead to 7-3.
In the sixth, Kaitlyn Wolken crushed a two-run homer to left field that put Butler up 9-4.
Reliever Kelsey Berlin came in for two innings of relief of Millspaugh, but was pulled in the seventh for Maggie Ham after allowing the first two runners to reach base. Ham recorded two outs, but Seward's Becky Allen drove in two runs with an RBI single to right. Ham then got Jeena Keen to pop out to end the contest.
Mac Millspaugh (15-0) received the win, allowing three runs on five hits in just four innings of work. Millspaugh struck out four and walked two.
Butler pounded out 10 hits in the second game. Leading the Grizzlies offensively was Kaitlyn Wolken, who went 3-for-4 with two runs and two RBI.