ENID, Okla. – The Butler baseball squad took advantage of 11 walks in a 9-0 shutout road victory over Northern Oklahoma-Enid at David Allen Memorial Ballpark on Tuesday.
Butler (8-4 overall, 3-1 Jayhawk West) scored four runs in the opening inning, plated two in the fifth and added three more insurance runs in the ninth for the win.
Grizzly freshman pitcher Travis Edgar (1-0) earned the win, striking out six batters in five innings while allowing two hits and two walks. In two appearances this season, Edgar has 10 strikeouts in seven innings without allowing a run.
The Grizzlies jumped out quickly to a 4-0 lead on the host Jets. With one out, Ty Redington walked and advanced to second on a pickoff error. Zach Baker singled to right to move Redington to third. A wild pitch scored Redington, then after a Cory Slater walk, Bryce Whitchurch singled to score Baker.
Slater made the score 3-0 when he scored on a Cameron Knight groundout, then Bryant Klusener drove in Whitchurch for the final run of the first inning.
In the fifth, Slater led off the inning with a single. Two batters later, Knight doubled down the left-field line to score Slater. Knight then came home on Klusener's single to center.
Baker hit a leadoff double to start the ninth, then crossed the plate on an RBI single by Whitchurch. Butler's final two runs came courtesy of an infield throwing error, scoring Whitchurch and Knight.
Klusener led Butler offensively, going 3-for-4 at the plate with two RBI and one stolen base. Baker and Whitchurch both went 2-for-4 with two RBI and two runs scored, while Knight went 2-for-3 with two RBI and two runs scored.
The Grizzly bullpen of Austin Weiser, Cash Pechin, Cade Wager and Ben Ramberg combined for four shutout innings.
Offensively, Northern Oklahoma-Enid (9-4) managed just six hits, three walks and had a total of four runners reach second base.
Butler will host four games this weekend against Southeastern, Iowa, and Longview, Mo., at McDonald Stadium. On Saturday, the Grizzlies will play Southeastern at noon and Longview at 3 p.m. Butler will then play Southeastern at 11:00 a.m. and Longview at 5 p.m. on Sunday.
