DODGE CITY, Kan. – The Butler softball team returned to conference play Tuesday, defeating Dodge City 13-1 and 6-1 at Legends Field.
Butler (17-10 overall, 6-2 Jayhawk West) extended its winning streak to 13 games and moved into a first-place tie with Seward County atop the Jayhawk West standings.
The Grizzlies will head to Great Bend on Thursday to face Barton, with the doubleheader beginning at 2 p.m.
Game 1 – Butler 13, Dodge City 1 (5 innings)
Butler jumped out to a 6-0 lead after two innings in the first game against Dodge. Megan Wurts drove in Aujanae McCoy on an RBI single, then Morgan Heckart followed with a two-run home run to left field. Danae Bina added an RBI single to bring in Gracie Bogle to give the Grizzlies a 4-0 lead after one inning.
In the second, Monica Islava's double to left scored Heckart, then Islava would later score on a double steal.
Butler added a run in the fourth when McCoy scored on a double steal. Dodge scored its only run of the game in the bottom-half of the fourth when Taryn Garza scored on a fielder's choice.
The Grizzlies then put the game out of reach with a six-run fifth inning. Kaelah McMullin scored on a bases-loaded walk, then Wurts singled up the middle to score Haylee Lorenz and Karlie Peck. McCoy came home on a Heckart RBI single. Jill Shipman later followed with a two-run single to left, scoring Islava and Heckart.
Freshman pitcher Jenny Hittinger picked up her eighth win of the season, going five innings and allowing just one run on two hits.
Wurts and Heckart each had three hits and three RBI in the contest, while Heckart and McCoy scored three runs each.
Game 2 – Butler 6, Dodge City 1
The Grizzlies' offense got off to a slow start in the second game, but scored at least one run in the final four innings to earn the sweep.
Dodge's Ashley Beavers scored on a Danielle Aldana groundout to put the Conquistadors up 1-0 after the first inning.
Conqs starting pitcher Mia Truillo held the Grizzlies scoreless until the fourth inning. Trujillo managed to load the bases, issuing two walks and a hit batter. With two outs, Trujillo then threw a wild pitch, allowing Morgan Heckart to score to tie the game at 1-1.
In the fifth, Karlie Peck led off the inning by reaching first on a fielding error, then stole second and advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt. Peck then scored when Wurts flied out to left, putting Butler up 2-1.
Butler added another run in the sixth when Monica Islava scored on a Gracie Bogle RBI groundout.
The Grizzlies would score three insurance runs in the seventh inning, as Heckart drove in two runs on a single – scoring Wurts and Shipman. Heckart followed with another run, scoring on Islava's single to left.
Freshman righthander Kaelah McMullin was credited with the victory, going five innings and allowing one run on three hits while striking out two. Hittinger relieved McMullin for the final two innings, allowing just one hit and recording one strikeout.
Islava went 3-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI, while Heckart went 1-for-3 with two runs and two RBI.
