EL DORADO, Kan. – It took an extra inning, but the 8-seed Butler Grizzlies swept the best-of-three Region VI Playoff opening round series from 9-seed Neosho Friday afternoon with a 3-2 win in 10 innings at McDonald Stadium.
In a game that saw stellar pitching performances on both sides, runs were hard to come by. Trailing 2-1 entering the bottom of the ninth, Butler needed a run to push it to extras. With one out, left fielder Micah Kobuszewski doubled down the right field line to get the game-tying run in scoring position. The next at bat saw first baseman Brock Toothaker push a ball through the right side of the infield, sending Kobuszewski home and making it a 2-2 game. The Grizzlies were unable to push another run across in the ninth, so for the first-time all-season Butler was headed to extra innings.
Bradyn McClure (W, 5-5) turned in a big time relief performance on the mound for Butler and came back out to pitch the 10th, his fifth inning of work. Two infield groundouts and a strikeout later and McClure did just what was asked, sending the Butler bats back up to try and win the game in the bottom of the tenth. McClure threw 5.0 shutout innings allowing just one hit, striking out six and walking none. He relieved starter Dayton Pelfrey who gave up just two hits of his own, allowing one earned run, striking out four and walking one in 5.0 innings.
Neosho made a pitching change as former Grizzly Coleson Syring entered to pitch the tenth, also the brother of former Grizzly Jackson Syring. Syring forced a flyout to center field by CJ Reid for the first out and walked Anibal Rivera next. He then struck out Butler shortstop Taber Stokes to make it two outs and a runner on in the inning.
The next two batters, Cole Murrell and Charlie Marcantel, were hit by pitches to load the bases. Kobuszewski stepped up to the plate with bases loaded and two outs and saw the count go full. With Grizzly fans making noise the next pitch was high and outside, walking Kobuszewski, scoring Rivera, and sending the Grizzlies to Eck Stadium next week for the Plains District Tournament as Kobuszewski was mobbed on the field.
Views from the field ��
— Butler Grizzlies (@ButlerGrizzlies) May 10, 2024
Last home game of the season came down to the wire��#RoarGrizz�� pic.twitter.com/6b23s2QHMu
Butler mustered just five hits in the game. Toothaker, Kobuszewski and Reid drove in a run a piece. Reid hit a solo home run in the third to give Butler a 1-0 lead, his second straight game with a solo home run.
The Panthers countered with a run in both the fourth and fifth to take a 2-1 lead as Cody Moore hit a solo home run and Luke Westerman scored from third on a wild pitch. Moore led Neosho offensively going 2-3 with as Neosho had just three hits all game.
Starting pitcher Jaret Myers tossed 7.0 innings allowing just two hits and one run, striking out two.
The Grizzlies will play 1-seed and No. 2 ranked Johnson County at 4 p.m. on Wednesday at Wichita State's Eck Stadium. The winner advances to play the winner of Kansas City Kansas CC and Cloud County on Thursday at 7 p.m. while the loser plays on Thursday at 1 p.m.
The Grizzlies have advanced past the opening round of the playoffs in six straight years.
