Pelfrey’s Complete Game Shutout Leads Butler Past Cloud in Plains District Tournament

WICHITA, Kan. – Butler baseball kept its season alive on Thursday afternoon in the Plains District Tournament with a 9-0 run rule victory over the Cloud County Thunderbirds at Eck Stadium.

Butler (33-26) finished off the T-Birds (40-21) in eight innings with the eight after seven run rule. The win advances Butler to take on Cowley on Friday morning at 10 a.m. in another elimination contest while the T-Birds season comes to an end.

Grizzly starting pitcher Dayton Pelfrey (W, 6-1) threw a complete game 8.0 inning shutout allowing only three hits, striking out three and walking two. The 8.0 innings were a career-high as Pelfrey helped save some of Butler's arms ahead of the game with Cowley on Friday morning.

Butler carried over its offensive struggles with runners on base from yesterday's loss to Johnson County early on as they were unable to do anything with runners on second and third with just one out in the second inning.

The third inning saw Butler breakthrough on the scoreboard as a Taber Stokes sacrifice fly scored CJ Reid making it 1-0.

Pelfrey was able to hold the T-Birds away from scoring in the bottom of the third despite the first two runners singling.

Brock Toothaker ripped a two-run ground rule double that bounced over the left field wall, scoring Micah Kobuszewski and Charlie Marcantel. It was a hit that seemingly opened the flood gates for the Grizzlies as they took a 3-0 lead.

BSB vs. Cloud | T6 | Plains District Tourney

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Brock Toothaker with a two-run ground rule double that puts the Grizzlies up 3-0 in the sixth #RoarGrizz�� pic.twitter.com/AXst6eeMVA

— Butler Grizzlies (@ButlerGrizzlies) May 16, 2024

Five more runs scored in the eighth for Butler which all but put the game away. CJ Reid came through with a bases clearing double to right center, Jaron Brown smashed an RBI double to right and Anibal Rivera scored one on a ball hit down the third base line that the Cloud catcher picked up thinking it was foul as it was touching the foul line.

Butler outhit Cloud 8-3 despite striking out nine times compared to the T-Birds three.

Kobuszewski was 2-3 and Jaron Brown finished 2-4. Reid's three RBI were a team-high.