Butler softball has tied its program record with 28 consecutive victories after sweeping Dodge City by scores of 8-0 and 10-0 on Monday at East Park. Both games were decided by run rule after five innings of play.
The doubleheader was scheduled to be played in Dodge City, but after being delayed four times due to weather, the games were moved to El Dorado.
Butler sweeps the season series from Dodge City, going 4-0 and winning all four games by run rule. This is the first time this season that Butler has shut out an opponent in both games of a doubleheader. Dodge City had just two hits on the day – one in each game.
The current 28-game winning streak ties the record set by the 2013 team, which would go 54-4 and reach the final four at the NJCAA National Tournament.
Butler has not lost since the first game of a doubleheader at Barton on March 3. The Grizzlies have won 19 of those 28 games by run rule and have scored in double figures 13 times during the streak.
Butler will finish the regular season on Wednesday at home with a non-conference doubleheader against Labette with games at 2 and 4 p.m.
The Grizzlies are 43-4 overall and finish Jayhawk Conference play at 23-1 – setting a program record for most conference wins in a season. The 43 wins are the most since the 2013 team and mark the seventh time in 12 years under coach Doug Chance with 40 or more wins.
GAME 1 – Butler 8, Dodge City 0
Butler broke a scoreless tie in the top of the third inning when Alexis Clinton and Megan Wurts hit back-to-back home runs. Later in the inning, Danae Bina hit a two-out, two-run double and Butler led 4-0.
In the fourth, Clinton and Wurts repeated the feat, both homering again in back-to-back at-bats. Brynn Minor would double to drive in Becca Schulte and Butler led 7-0 after four innings.
Butler's final run came in the fifth inning when Drea Lesure doubled and later scored on a sacrifice fly to center by Raven Bass.
In the circle, Regan Mergele threw three perfect innings, retiring all nine Dodge City batters she faced. The win makes her 21-3 on the season. Brynn Minor threw the final two innings of scoreless relief, allowing just one hit while striking out four batters.
GAME 2 – Butler 10, Dodge City 0
Butler got eight runs in the first inning, including a two-run single by Morgan Heckart and a three-run single by Megan Wurts, and rolled from there.
The big inning also included bases-loaded walks that resulted in RBIs for Mikayla Waggnor and Alexis Clinton.
Danae Bina would score on a wild pitch in the second innings and drive in a run with a single in the fourth inning for Butler's final two runs.
Jennifer Hittinger threw three shutout innings for Butler, striking out seven. That included a third inning in which she loaded the bases with a single, hit batter and a walk, but then struck out the final two batters of the inning. The win makes her 19-1 on the season.
Brynn Minor once again threw two scoreless innings, striking out the final four batters she faced. Her 0.60 ERA ranks her second nationally in that category.