CHANUTE, Kan. – The Butler baseball team overcame a five-run deficit by scoring the final six runs of the game in a 10-9 win over Neosho on Tuesday at Hudson Field.
Butler scored three runs in the seventh, two in the eighth and one in the ninth to get the win.
The game-winning run in the ninth came when Austin Portner singled, stole second, went to third on a sacrifice bunt by Dawson Kabler and scored on a single up the middle by Jean Morillo.
Bennett Scherer came on in relief in the ninth inning. He struck out the first batter he faced. After an error allowed a runner on, he retired the final two batters of the game on ground balls. It is his fourth save of the season.
Butler had tied the game in the eighth inning on a two-run single by pinch-hitter Colby Standard, driving in both Javier Pena and Parker Base.
In the eighth inning, Portner doubled to drive in Base, and then Kabler launched a two-run homer to center. That made the score 9-7.
Butler had taken a 1-0 lead in the first inning when the Grizzlies loaded the bases. Portner was hit by a pitch to force in Colby Deaville.
Neosho would get a run in the second, then got a grand slam homer from Adam Theis in the second inning and added two more runs in the fourth to take a 7-1 lead.
Butler chipped into the lead with three runs of its own in the fifth, coming off a two-run double by Joshua Cox and a single to center that allowed Cox to score moments later.
That made it a 7-4 game, but Neosho would score two more runs in the sixth off reliever John Rubeo to push the lead to five.
Butler reliever Jayton Haggard came on to throw scoreless innings in the seventh and eighth, allowing just one base runner over two innings. He earns the victory, improving to 2-0 on the season.
Butler is now 15-6 overall and returns to Jayhawk West Conference action. The Grizzlies, tied for first at 6-2 after two weekends of play, face Seward (11-11, 4-4 KJCCC) with two games at home on Thursday and two games in Liberal on Saturday.