Butler advances to Region VI title game with 6-1 over Seward

Butler advances to Region VI title game with 6-1 over Seward

WICHITA, Kan. -- The Butler softball team advanced to the Region VI Division I championship game with a 6-1 victory over Seward County on Sunday afternoon at Wichita State's Wilkins Stadium.

Butler moves to 47-2 overall and have now won a season-high 24 consecutive games. The Grizzlies will face the Game 7 winner (Seward vs. Colby/Barton winner) in the title game at approximately 5 p.m.

The Grizzlies scored three runs in the opening inning to build an early 3-0 lead. Kaitlyn Wolken hit an RBI double off the left field fence to score Sydney Stuever for the first run, then Kate James followed with a single to bring home Wolken. After a pitching change, Kelsey Berlin singled through the right side of the infield to score James.

Seward would score their only run of the contest in the second inning, but Butler answered with back-to-back solo home runs by Ashton Atwell and Kelsey Berlin in the third.

Butler added its sixth run in the fourth inning when James grounded out into a fielder's choice to score Sydney Stuever.

Stuever, Atwell and Berlin had two hits each in the win for Butler.

Maggie Ham (26-1) pitched a complete game to earn the win, allowing just one run on four hits while striking out nine.