LIBERAL, Kan. – The Butler softball team got off to a clutch start in Jayhawk Conference play with a doubleheader sweep of arch-rival Seward County on Thursday, winning 5-2 and 2-0.
The sixth-ranked Grizzlies (11-3 overall, 2-0 conference) are in first place in the conference standings, but more importantly are up two games on Seward. The two teams have won the past eight conference titles, with the Grizzlies winning six of them.
In the first game on Thursday, freshman Sydnee Eck pitched a complete game to get the win and also hit a solo home run to help her own cause in the top of the third inning. Eck (8-3) allowed just one earned run on four hits and fanned eight batters.
Butler jumped out to a 2-0 lead on a two-run single from Samantha Reiss in the second inning. After Seward scored in the bottom of the second, Eck responded with the solo homer to put the Grizzlies up 3-1.
The Grizzlies extended the lead to 5-1 when Jillian Navarrete hit a two-run double to score Kate James and Ashton Atwell.
In the second game, Butler rode the pitching of freshman Jayde Hansen, who threw the first shutout of her collegiate career and improved to 3-0 on the season. Hansen allowed just five hits while striking out three.
The game was a scoreless tie until the top of the fifth inning, when Butler scored a pair of runs. Samantha Reiss opened the inning with a single, then Jordan Baughman came into pinch-run and stole second base. Kendra Houston followed with an RBI single up the middle to score Baughman for the first run. Aujanae McCoy ran for Houston, stole third base and then scored on an RBI groundout by Eck.
Due to unplayable field conditions, Butler had a Saturday doubleheader with Northern Oklahoma-Tonkawa cancelled. Instead, the Grizzlies will next play in the two-day Carthage Bash in Joplin, Mo., beginning on Saturday, March 15. Butler will face two nationally-ranked teams on Saturday – No. 12 Iowa Western and No. 3 Northeastern Oklahoma A&M. On Sunday, the Grizzlies will play Seminole State (Okla.) and Connors State (Okla.).