The Butler baseball team overpowered Colby late twice on Sunday to sweep a Jayhawk Conference doubleheader at McDonald Stadium.
Butler trailed in both games, but both times used a big sixth inning as part of the come-from-behind victory. The Grizzlies won 8-4 in the first game and 8-5 in the second.
With the wins, Butler (19-11 overall, 10-6 Jayhawk West) now remains just one game behind league-leading Barton (11-5).
The Grizzlies will play three games at home this week, with a non-conference game Tuesday at 1 p.m. against Neosho and a conference doubleheader on Thursday against Cloud County.
GAME 1 - Butler 8, Colby 4
The Grizzlies trailed 4-3 going into the bottom of the sixth. Colby Deaville tied the game with one swing, hitting a solo shot to right, his third homer in the past two games.
After tying the contest, Butler would take the lead on a bases-loaded single to center by Parker Base, driving in Joshua Cox and Patrick Bethea. Later, Colby Standard would single to left, allowing Javier Pena and Base to score.
By the time the dust settled, Butler had put up five runs to take control of the game.
Bennett Scherer went out to work the top of the seventh inning and got two quick strikeouts and a groundout to end the game.
Dillan Janak (4-1) earns the win for Butler, as he went six innings and allowed four runs, three of which were earned. He struck out five.
Base paced the offense, reaching all four trips to the place (two hits, two walks) and driving in three runs. Deaville also was 2-for-2.
GAME 2 - Butler 8, Colby 5
Colby struck for two runs early against starter Blake Rohm, but he settled in and threw three straight scoreless innings before giving up a run in the fifth.
At that point, Butler trailed 3-1. Alex Jacobs pitched a scoreless sixth and Butler finally got its bats going in the bottom of that inning.
The first run came when Tanyon Schafer doubled to left-center to score Austin Portner to make it a 3-2 game. Then with the bases loaded, a wild pitch allowed Deaville to score to tie the game. Schafer scored on a single to center by Patrick Bethea and Butler led 4-3.
The Grizzlies added another in the seventh on a Portner double that allowed Colby Standard to score all the way from first.
Butler led 5-3 at that point, and had brought in Bennett Scherer to finish the game on the mound. He quickly got two outs in the top of the eighth, before using a walk and giving up a two-run homer that tied the game.
Butler responded offensively one more time in the home half of the eighth. Jack Maki double to left to score Joshua Cox, giving Butler back the lead at 6-5.
Butler added two more as Parker Base grounded to first base with the bases loaded. The fielder went home to try to get the lead runner, but Bethea bear the throw to the plate to make it 7-5.
The final run came when Standard singled, allowing Maki to score.
Maki and Portner each had two hits in the contest, while Deaville scored two runs.
Scherer (2-1) picked up the win, throwing 2 2/3 innings of relief and allowing two earned runs on two his. Rohm had a solid start with five innings, giving up two earned runs on four hits and striking out four, while reliever Alex Jacobs had 1 1/3 innings of shutout relief on just one hit.