EL DORADO, Kan. – Following two wins over the Colby Trojans on Wednesday afternoon at East Park, Butler softball clinched a share of the 2024 Jayhawk Conference title.
Butler (42-8, 28-2 KJCCC) needs just one win in its last regular season doubleheader of the season on Saturday vs. Seward to claim the title outright as they sit two games ahead of Hutchinson in the standings. Saturday's doubleheader with Seward at East Park will serve as the Grizzlies sophomore recognition day with a ceremony to be held after game two. The Grizzlies finished in second a year ago with the Blue Dragons winning the 2023 title which snapped a streak of 11-straight conference championships for Butler.
The Grizzlies shut out Colby (25-23, 18-12) on the afternoon winning 2-0 in game one and 5-0 in game two. It marked the first conference doubleheader this season the Grizzlies did not allow a run.
Game 1: Butler 2, Colby 0
Game one was the Cheyenne Handsaker show as the sophomore struck out a career-high 14 in a complete game shutout allowing just three hits and walking one.
SB vs. Colby (G1) | FINAL
— Butler Grizzlies (@ButlerGrizzlies) April 24, 2024
Cheyenne Handsaker pumps in her career-high 14th strikeout and Butler gets the game 1 victory, 2-0!#RoarGrizz�� pic.twitter.com/z4mO2GHXuC
Butler did not get on the scoreboard until the bottom of the sixth when Claire Lopez singled to left, driving in Madison Nightingale to make it 1-0. A sacrifice fly from Chloe Cardona in the next at bat scored Kyrsten Moran and gave Butler a 2-0 lead as they closed the top of the seventh out for the game one win.
Lopez led Butler with two hits as the Grizzlies recorded just five hits in the game.
Game 2: Butler 5, Colby 0
The Grizzlies started game two off slowly once again on offense.
Colby threated in the first inning as they loaded the bases with two outs off a double and two walks. Grizzly left fielder Kory Schoenfeld made a SportsCenter Top-10 worthy diving catch in left field for the third out that held runs off the board and likely saved the game for Butler.
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— Butler Grizzlies (@ButlerGrizzlies) April 24, 2024
This one is definitely #SCtop10 worthy, @ESPNAssignDesk #RoarGrizz�� pic.twitter.com/tkT2BiiBhG
The game was scoreless through the first 4.0 innings before a Colby fielding error in the fifth allowed Lopez to come home and score giving Butler a 1-0 lead.
Four runs in the sixth saw Butler claim a 5-0 advantage and Addy Ewing secured the final three outs in the top of the seventh as Butler completed the sweep.
Madison Montgomery made it 2-0 in the sixth with an RBI double and Caylee Mann made it 3-0 with an RBI single to right center. Kyrsten Moran plated another on an RBI groundout while Lopez singled in the final run of the game to the shortstop making it 5-0.
Chloe Odle (W, 14-4) earned the win as she started in the circle and tossed 6.0 shutout innings despite walking (5) more batters than she struck out (4).
Lopez once again paced Butler offensively going 3-4 with an RBI. She was the lone Grizzly with multiple hits.
Colby was held to four hits in the game. Starting pitcher Mia Rauzi (L, 10-7) took the loss as she allowed four runs on seven hits in 5.0 innings of action.
