Butler Baseball Splits Doubleheader with No. 11 Hutchinson

HUTCHINSON, Kan. – The Butler Grizzlies split their doubleheader with No. 11 Hutchinson from Hobar-Detter Field on Thursday afternoon. 

Game 1 (7 inn.) – Butler 13, Hutchinson 11

The Grizzlies handed No. 11 Hutchinson their first conference loss of the season in game one of Thursday's doubleheader. It was a back-and-forth affair between the Grizzlies and Blue Dragons in game one, having been four lead changes in the contest. 

Butler managed to hit five homers and all five were from the fourth inning beyond. Tanay Vyas popped off a solo two out home run in the top half of the fourth to put the Grizzlies up 7-5. Hutchinson responded in the fifth with a two-run home run to tie the game at 7 apiece and then took the lead off a sac fly and later an RBI double to retake the lead at 9-7. In the top half of the 6^th, Vyas hit another two out solo home run, and Jackson Ellison followed with a two-out homer of his own to tie the game at 9. 

The Grizzlies put the game to bed in the 7^th after a three-run home run from Yusei Uzawa, scoring Logan Hicks and Jarren Hay. Danny Wideman followed that up with another solo home run to put Butler up 13-9.

Vyas went 4-5 with two home runs, two doubles, and four RBIs. Uzawa finished 3-4 with three RBIs, Ellison went 3-4, two RBIs, and a triple. Manny Dunn hit 2-4 with one RBI, and Danny Wideman rounded things out going 2-5, one RBI, and one home run. Wideman ranks 6^th in the NJCAA in home runs with 15 on the season. 

Shane Holman started on the mound for the Grizzlies. Holman threw 4.2 innings, gave up nine earned runs and had five strikeouts. Connor Clark (W, 4-1) earned the win for the Grizzlies, his fourth on the season. Clark threw two innings and allowed only one hit, two runs (zero earned), and struck out one. 

Game 2 (7 inn.) – Hutchinson 12, Butler 1

The Grizzlies could not get anything going against the Blue Dragons in game 2 of the day. Hutchinson scored all 12 of their runs through the first three innings, while the Grizzlies were held scoreless until the top half of the 4^th after an RBI single from Logan Hicks, bringing in Holden Lough for the run. 

Butler managed just six hits in 28 at bats and struck out four times. Hutchinson gathered nine hits in 27 at bats. The Grizzlies walked 11 Hutchinson batters. 

George Hobbins (L, 0-2) suffered the loss for the Grizzlies.

The Grizzlies now sit in third place in the KJCCC standings (17-11, 11-3 KJCCC). Hutchinson remains in second in the conference standings (27-5, 9-1).

Next up: The Grizzlies will host Hutchinson in games three and four of the series on Saturday at 1 & 3 p.m. from McDonald Stadium.