Butler Baseball Comes Through With Shutout of KCKCC

KANSAS CITY, Kan. – The Butler Grizzlies used impressive pitching performances to come away with a 3-0 complete game shutout of the Kansas City Kansas CC Blue Devils on Friday afternoon at the KCKCC Baseball Complex.

Butler (3-0) used six pitchers, holding the Blue Devils to no runs on four hits. They had 12 strikeouts to five walks. KCKCC moves to 1-1 on the young season.

Zach Murkin earned the start on the mound for Butler in a pre-determined 3.0 inning outing. He struck out four, walked one and allowed one hit. Dayton Pelfrey (W, 1-0) picked up the win, tossing the fourth as he was the pitcher of record when Butler took the lead in the fifth.

The Grizzlies scratched across their first run in the fifth inning as CJ Reid came home from third on a wild pitch that went to the backstop. Reid previously got on base with Butler's first base hit of the game.

The seventh inning saw the Grizzlies plate two runs to take a 3-0 lead. Taber Stokes delivered an RBI double, scoring Justin Hudson. Cole Murrell then delivered with a pinch hit RBI single that scored Stokes.

Bradyn McClure tosses the sixth and seventh innings, striking out two, walking one and allowing no hits.

Jack Haag (S, 1) came on in the ninth in a save situation. The leadoff hitter for KCKCC got on with a base hit on a 2-2 count. Haag proceeded to strike out the next three batters to earn the save and help the Grizzlies to the win.

Butler returns to action on Wednesday, Feb. 14th, as they take on NEO A&M and Coffeyville at 10 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. at Wendell Simmons Field in Edmond, Okla. They return to the field on Thursday in Edmond, playing Seminole State (OK) at 5:30 p.m.