The Grizzlies saw their 23 game win streak snapped with a loss to Central Florida in the first game of the 2022 NJCAA National Tournament in Yuma, Arizona on Tuesday as the Grizzlies fell to the Patriots, 7-3.
The highlight of the night came from Ari Cordova, whose two run home run in the first inning gave the Grizzlies the lead. Cordova now leads Butler in home runs this season, with 12. Cordova, Young, and Emily Adler provided most of the firepower, combining for six of the Grizzlies' seven hits.
A sloppy night defensively did Butler in on the night. The Grizzlies' usually sound fielding led to two errors and three unearned runs.
Emma Koeneke started inside the circle, and she suffered just her second loss of the year. The freshman from Missouri falls to 25-2 with the defeat.
Butler's record falls to 48-3. They'll have to fight their way out of the loser's bracket if they want to capture their third national championship, which starts with a game against the third seeded Wallace State, who was upset by 14th seed Paris (TX). That game will be at 2 PM Central Time at Pacific Avenue Athletic Complex on Wednesday afternoon.
