COLBY, Kan. – The Butler baseball team earned a doubleheader sweep of Colby on Wednesday to move into first place in the Jayhawk West.
The Grizzlies won the first game 8-2 and took the second game 10-4. Butler has now won four straight, all in conference play and are in first place at 6-2 in league games. Butler is now 11-8 overall.
Offensively, Evan Koehler had home runs in both games of the doubleheader and both of Butler's starting pitchers went seven innings on the mound.
Butler will have a quick turnaround. After getting home just before midnight, the Grizzlies will play a single nine-inning game at McDonald Stadium against Brown Mackie on Thursday.
GAME 1 – Butler 8, Colby 2
Carson Corff went the distance in the opening game, earning the win with the first complete-game effort by a Butler pitcher this season. He allowed eight hits in seven innings, but just two runs with a walk and eight strikeouts.
Evan Koehler and Michael Cerullo both homered in the game for the Grizzlies as the broke out of a scoreless game with a five-run third inning. Ty Redington drove in two runs and Dalton Wheat also drove in a run for the Grizzlies. Zach Baker was the only Grizzly with multiple hits, going 2-for-3 with two runs scored in the game. Logan Beard also scored twice for Butler.
GAME 2 – Butler 10, Colby 4
Butler got another strong pitching performance as starter Brady Holcomb went seven innings, allowing just two runs, one of which was unearned. He struck out five and walked two while scattering five hits.
Austin Dubsky came on in relief and allowed two runs over the final two innings with three strikeouts.
Koehler's home run was a three-run blast in the second inning. By that point, the Grizzlies led 5-0. The Grizzlies were up 8-0 before Colby scored its first run in the bottom of the fourth. Jake Huscroft also drove in three runs, while Cameron Knight, Ty Redington, Michael Cerullo and Jeff Christen each drove in one run.
Dalton Wheat went 2-for-3 at the plate and scored three times from his leadoff position.
