Butler splits opening series at Eastern Oklahoma
The Butler baseball team opened its season with a pair of games at Eastern Oklahoma, falling 6-5 in the opener on Friday but bouncing back to win 6-1 in the second game on Saturday.
Butler is now 1-1 on the season and the Grizzlies will next play at Emporia State JV on Wednesday.
Eastern Oklahoma 6, Butler 5
Butler struggled to get its bats going in the first game of the season, as two Eastern Oklahoma pitchers combined to shut out Butler for the first seven innings of the game.
The Grizzlies finally came alive in the top of the eighth inning, scoring eight runs to tie the game 4-4. Butler got its first run on an RBI single by Ty Moore, then got the tying runs on a double by Gabe Cook.
Butler reliver Danny Wise loaded the bases in the bottom of the eighth and two runs scored on a dropped fly ball in left field, putting Eastern back in front, 6-4.
In the top of the ninth, the Grizzlies got one more run on an RBI groundout by Ty Moore and had runners at second and third with one out in the inning, but could not push across the tying run.
Offensively, leadoff hitter Shane Bridges was 3-5 at the plate with two runs scored, while Ty Moore was 2-4 with a run scored and two driven in. On the mound, Wise took the loss even though both runs were unearned. Travis Hendry started and threw five innings, allowing just one run.
Butler 6, Eastern Oklahoma 1
Butler got another solid start, this time from Jackson Rolfs. The freshman went four innings in his collegiate debut, allowing just one earned run while striking out three. Reliever Kyle Vogts threw three innings to earn his first collegiate save.
Meanwhile, Ty Moore was once again powering the Butler offense. He singled in a run in the fifth inning to tie the game 1-1. Then an inning later, he drove in three runs with a bases-loaded double in the sixth inning.
Butler also got an RBI apiece from Evan Koehler and Logan Beard.
Once again, Shane Bridges and Ty Moore each had multiple hit games, with two hits apiece.