Rasmussen’s Walk-Off Solo Home Run Sends Grizzlies to Win Over Neosho
Rasmussen's 9th Inning Home Run Sends Panthers Packing
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
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0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 7 | 9 | 2 |
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0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 9 | 1 |
EL DORADO, Kan. – Butler baseball third baseman Cooper Rasmussen's solo home run in the bottom of the ninth inning gave the Grizzlies an 8-7 walk-off win over the Neosho Panthers on Tuesday afternoon at McDonald Stadium.
Butler (21-15) scored six runs across the final three innings as they completed the comeback win over the Panthers (17-15).
Entering the ninth inning tied 7-7, Butler reliever Van Haneberg (W, 2-1) worked a 1-2-3 inning including a strikeout of his older brother, Reed Haneberg, in the top of the ninth. That sent the game to the bottom of the ninth where Rasmussen, the first batter of the inning, smoked the second pitch he saw over the right field wall as the Grizzly bench poured out of the dugout and Rasmussen celebrated around the bases. The home run was his 11th of the season which is tops among both the KJCCC East and West divisions.
Butler got a strong start from pitcher Elias Muller as he worked 5.1 innings striking out a career-high eight, walking two and allowing two runs on four hits. Connor Clark and Cooper Annin allowed just one run in 1.2 combined innings of relief. Neosho took a 3-2 lead in the top of the seventh off a Jamon Beck RBI double off the wall. Butler answered with a four spot in the bottom of the seventh taking a 6-3 lead into the eighth as Jack Lemasters singled in a run, Amarion Sailer scored on a wild pitch and Jaden Rose scored on a Jackson Ellison sacrifice fly.
Neosho responded with four runs of their own in the top of the eighth, taking a 7-6 lead and chasing reliever Thomas Gibbs. Haneberg got the final out of the inning and worked the ninth to pick up his second win on the year.
Jackson Witt finished 2-3 at the plate recording his first two collegiate hits.
TOP PERFORMERS:
Elias Muller (Overland Park, KS): 5.1 IP, 2 ER, 4 H, 8 K's (Career-high), 2 BB
Cooper Rasmussen (Temecula, CA): 2-5, 2 RBI, 2B, HR
Holden Lough (Spring Hill, KS): 2-3, R, BB
Jackson Witt (Wichita, KS): 2-3, R, BB
Amarion Sailer (Rapid City, SD): 2-4, 2 R
Van Haneberg (Wichita, KS): Win, 1.1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 2 K's, 0 BB
NEXT UP:
Butler returns to conference play as Hutchinson rolls into McDonald Stadium on Thursday with first pitch set for 1 p.m.