Standout pitching from Montgomery and Koeneke power Grizzlies to pair of wins over Barton
The Grizzly pitching staff struck out 25 Barton batters in the double header.
Story by Wyatt Ebersole
Butler Softball picked up a dominant sweep behind two big games from starting pitchers Allyson Montgomery and Emma Koeneke. The Grizzlies took game one 7-2 and game two 8-1. The Grizzlies are now 32-10 overall, 22-4 in conference play, and the Grizzlies have won five of their last six. The losses for the Cougars drops them to 25-20 overall and 18-10 in conference play. The Cougars have also lost seven of their last eight games.
Game One
The Grizzlies got things rolling early in game one, plating at least one run in each of the first three innings. Briona Woods brought in Ryanna Valdivia to open the scoring in the first inning with an RBI single back up the middle. In the second inning, Amayiah Hall came in to score on a wild play that saw her score from first on a dropped third strike throwing error. In the third, Kendyl Anderson bounced a ball off the pitcher for a single and in turn, drove in Valdivia from third. Reece Briggs added to the scoring in the third inning with a sacrifice fly that scored Woods. After both sides went scoreless in the fourth, the Grizzlies got back to scoring in the fifth, adding two more runs to their total. Briggs brought in her second and third runners of the game with a single back up the middle and then Brianna Acosta scored Kendyl Anderson via a sacrifice fly to give the Grizzlies a 7-0 advantage. On the defensive side of things, Allyson Montgomery dominated the Cougars all game. Montgomery maintained a no-hitter through six innings, before a leadoff double in the seventh broke up her bid. A follow up two-run homerun would break the Grizzlies bid for a shutout, but that was all the Cougars managed to score in game one, as the Grizzlies took the game 7-2.
Montgomery finished with a line of seven innings pitched, allowing two runs on hit two hits, while walking two and striking out 14 Cougars on the day.
Valdivia had the best game at the plate for the Grizzlies, going 2-3 with a walk and she scored three times.
Game Two
Dominant pitching and consistent offense led the Grizzlies to victory once again on the day. Acosta opened the scoring in game two with a single to left field that brought the speedy Amayiah Hall home. Aly Hageman came in to score in the inning as well, thanks to a fielding error by the Cougars. Some déjà vu happened in the third inning as Acosta again singled to left field and again brought home Amayiah Hall to make it 3-0 Grizzlies through three innings. The Cougars cranked a solo homerun to right to get themselves on the board, but that would be their only run of game two. The Grizzlies responded with a big inning in their half of the fourth, scoring four runs to make it 7-1 Grizzlies through four innings in game two. Woods hit a bases loaded single to bring a runner home and then Reece Briggs drew a walk with the bases still loaded to make it 5-1. Cady Dickey made some room on the basepaths the next at-bat, ripping a ball to left field to score two more Grizzlies in the inning. After both sides hung zeroes in the fifth inning, Dickey added an insurance run on with a solo blast to left center field to put the Grizzlies up 8-1. Emma Koeneke held the Cougs off the board in the seventh, striking out the side to cement a dominant win for the Grizzlies in game two.
Koeneke had her best performance of the year. She threw all seven innings, allowing just one run on four hits, while allowing just two walks and striking out 11 Barton batters.
Cady Dickey went 2-4 with three RBIs to lead the Grizzly offense in game two.
The Grizzlies continue conference play on Saturday when they make the trek out to Dodge City on Saturday for a doubleheader battle with the Conquistadors at 1 and 3PM.
