Young hits seventh inning homerun in second game to split the day with the Blue Dragons

The Butler Grizzlies split an epic doubleheader matchup between the top two teams in the Jayhawk West Conference at Fun Valley against Hutch on Wednesday, dropping game one 3-2 before winning a thriller in game two, 12-11 against the Blue Dragons.

Game One

The Grizzlies could not get over the hump in game two, dropping their second game of the year and snapping a 15 game win streak which started against these very same Blue Dragons. Hutchinson is now responsible for two of the three conference losses for Butler since 2019, and it is the first time since 2015 that the Grizzlies have lost two games in conference play.

Butler opened the scoring with two runs in the first but were shut out the rest of the game as Hutch put three decisive runs across in the fourth. 

Game Two

Game two was one for the ages. The Grizzlies responded to the loss by scoring the first six runs of the contest, threatening to blow the game out of the water. But Hutch responded with a nine run third inning that saw three different Dragon players hit home runs. Hutch built their lead to 11-7 but the Grizzlies responded with four runs in the sixth inning to tie it. 

Butler's leader Madi Young would provide the heroics in this one. Young had four hits in five trips to the plate, scored three runs, and provided the pivotal score in the top of the seventh, homering to center field with two outs and two strikes in an 11-11 game. She would also catch the final out to cement the contest, the first loss for Hutchinson at home this season.

Emma Koeneke earned the win, her 13th of the season, in a rare relief appearance for the freshman, she took over in the third and pitched the rest of the game, allowing just two runs and striking out three.

The split puts the Grizzlies at 26-2 on the year, and 14-2 in conference play. They'll stay on the road this weekend as they travel to Colby for a doubleheader against the Trojans on Saturday.