Montgomery sets program strikeout record as Grizzlies shutdown Dodge City

Story by Wyatt Ebersole 

The Butler Softball team earned two more wins on Monday afternoon, using dominant pitching to lead the way to a sweep of the Dodge City Conquistadors winning game one 6-0, and game two 9-1 in five innings. The wins propel the Grizzlies to 27-7 overall on the year and 18-2 in conference play. The pair of losses for the Conquistadors grows their losing streak to eleven games and they are now 12-19 overall and 7-11 in conference play.

Game One

Ryanna Valdivia got the scoring going early, hitting a two-run blast to left center to give the Grizzlies an early 2-0 lead. Valdivia did almost all the Grizzlies scoring in game one, as she hit another two-run home run in the third inning to double the Grizzly lead to 4-0 through three innings. JaKeyla McDaniel added another run for the friendly side with an RBI single up the middle to make it 5-0 Grizzlies. Reece Briggs plated the final run of game one with an RBI single to left to give the Grizzlies a 6-0 lead through five innings. The Grizzly bats were held quiet the rest of the way, but Allyson Montgomery pitched a dominant complete game shutout to give the Grizzlies the 6-0 win. 

Montgomery had a record setting performance in game one. She struck out 18 Conq batters, a new record for the Butler Softball program, breaking the previous record of 17 set by Maggie Ham in the 2013 season. Montgomery threw all seven innings, allowing just three hits. 

The Grizzly offense was led by Valdivia, who punished two softballs in game one, going 2-3 with two home runs and four RBIs.

Game Two

Game two was much of the same story as game one, as starter Emma Koeneke dominated the Conquistadors allowing just one unearned run in her complete game win. Mallory Young opened the scoring in game two with an absolutely towering grand slam to right field in the bottom of the second to make it 4-0 Grizzlies. Later in the inning, Valdivia found her third home run of the afternoon, this time a solo shot to right center field to make it a 5-0 Grizzly advantage. To cap off the inning, Madi Divis hit her first collegiate home run, a two-run, pinch-hit bomb to left center to make it 7-0 Grizzlies through two innings. Dodge City scored their only run of the afternoon in the top of the third, but RBIs from Valdivia and Kendyl Anderson pushed the Grizzlies to the run-rule threshold, leading 9-1 through three innings. Koeneke set down the final six Conq batters in order, en route to the Grizzlies 9-1 five inning, run-rule victory.  

Koeneke was fantastic in her start. Pitching all five innings, allowing just the one unearned run on three hits, and striking out five Dodge City batters. 

Valdivia was great once again in game two, going 2-2 with a walk, a home run, and two RBIs.

Cady Dickey also had a terrific game, as she went a perfect 3-3 at the plate, with a run scored and a double.

The now #16 ranked Grizzlies have a quick turnaround, as they will turn around and play #15 ranked Hutchinson on Wednesday at East Park in El Dorado at 1 and 3 PM. The two teams are currently in a tie for first place in the Jayhawk Conference, adding to the importance of these two upcoming games. The teams split their first two matchups of the year in Hutchinson with the Blue Dragons winning game one 5-4 on a walk-off home run and the Grizzlies winning game two 6-5 in ten innings.