Story by Wyatt Ebersole
The Butler Baseball team split with the rival Hutchinson Blue Dragons on Thursday afternoon, winning game one 8-3 and falling in game two 1-11 in eight innings. The split for the Grizzlies makes their record now 19-11 overall and 6-4 in conference play. The game two loss also breaks the Grizzlies four game win streak.
Game 1
The Grizzlies put up runs early and often in game one, taking a relatively quick 8-3 win over the Blue Dragons. After a scoreless first inning, Anibal Rivera delivered a bases loaded, two-RBI single to right field to give the Grizzlies a quick 2-0 lead through two innings. After a sac fly by Hutchinson in the top of the third, Justin Hudson floated a solo home run over the wall in left to put the Grizzlies a two-run lead once again. Brock Toothaker made it a three run Grizzly advantage later in the inning to make it 4-1 Grizzlies through three innings. Hutch responded quickly in the top of the fourth, slashing the Grizzly deficit back to one run with a two-RBI single up the middle to make it just 4-3 in favor of the Grizzlies. The Butler offense found a response of their own in the bottom of the fourth, plating three runs to grow the Grizzly lead out to four runs at 7-3 through four innings. Rivera plated an insurance run in the bottom of the fifth inning to make it 8-3 and Izack Tiger set down the Dragons the rest of the way en route to victory for the Grizziles.
Tiger had a great day on the mound, pitching a complete seven innings, allowing just three runs on two hits, and he struck out seven Dragons on the day. The win for Tiger is his fifth of the year and improves his record to 5-4.
Game 2
In game two, the Blue Dragon offense came out firing, scoring three early runs on three hits to take the early 3-0 lead on the Grizzlies. A sacrifice groundout from Justin Hudson in the bottom half of the inning cut Dragon lead down to 3-1 through one inning. Pitching dominated the next six innings as the teams' starters continued to deal on the mound, keeping both teams off the scoreboard. Both teams got runners to third over that six inning scoreless stretch, but neither team could get a guy home. It was the Dragons who broke the scoring drought first, scoring eight runs in the top of the eighth to blow the game open, taking an 11-1 lead. The Grizzlies were held off the board in their half of the eighth and thus were not able to avoid the run-rule, falling to the Blue Dragons 11-1 in eight innings in game two.
The Grizzlies play games three and four of the series on Saturday at Hobart-Detter Field in Hutchinson. Games are slated for 1 and 3 PM first pitches, respectively.
