In their second KJCCC West series of the season, the Butler Baseball team (8-3, 6-2) took three of four from the Cloud County T-Birds this past week. Originally scheduled for a Thursday double header in El Dorado, the series got shifted around due to weather and Butler played the first two in Concordia with game one starting at 10:30am.
Butler was held scoreless and trailed 3-0 in the top of the sixth inning. After a leadoff flyout, Cache Stone walked and then it was Jackson Syring with a two-run homerun bringing the Grizzlies within one. A Noah Argenta walk would set up Josh Cameron who hit the second homerun of the inning for the Grizzlies giving them the go ahead run. Zach Nagle struck out all three batters in the bottom of the seventh to record the save and a 4-3 Butler win.
Game 1 Stats: HERE
Cloud took a 5-1 lead after the first two innings and plated three in the sixth, a hump the Grizzlies would be able to overcome in game two, falling 9-6.
Game 2 Stats: HERE
Sunday afternoon at the Mac is where games three and four of the series were set to be played. Cloud took the early 1-0 lead but the Grizzlies quickly took it back scoring three in the bottom of the second. Cloud plated two in the fourth and another two in the fifth to take a 5-3 lead. Butler got one back in the bottom of the fifth with an RBI from Zach Stroh. Then it was Josh Cameron and Jonah Cox hitting back-to-back homeruns to tie and take the lead after six complete. Zach Nagle came in for one out in the sixth and closed out the T-Birds in the seventh after having a runner reach third with only one out. He forced an infield pop out and struck out the final batter and Butler won 6-5.
Game 3 Stats: HERE
Butler kept their momentum from the first game of the day especially Josh Cameron who hit a three-run shot over right field in his first at bat in the first inning and Butler took an early 4-0 lead. They plated another four runs in the bottom of the second with two run RBI's from Noah Argenta and Zach Stroh. After that, the Grizzlies just had to hold onto the lead of which they did and finished the sweep with a 10-4 victory. Bryce Zimmerer went 3-3 all three of which were doubles, was walked twice and scored four runs and stole three bases in the game.
Game 4 Stats: HERE
NEXT UP: Butler (8-3, 6-2) is sitting atop the KJCCC West alongside the Hutchinson Blue Dragons who are also 6-2 in KJCCC West play. They will face off this Thursday and Saturday to determine who will claim that top spot early in the year. Butler will travel to Hutchinson on Thursday for a 1:00pm first pitch and will host the Blue Dragons on Saturday in El Dorado at McDonald Stadium with a 1:00pm first pitch.
