The Butler Baseball team opened up the 2021 KJCCC season on the road in hopes to play a four-game series in Garden City but mother nature forced the team to head back to El Dorado early playing only two games.
The Grizzlies didn't make the trip for nothing as they spilt on Thursday winning 10-0 in five-innings and dropped game two in a tight 6-4 game.
Butler struck early in game one plating four in the top of the first inning. They would end up scoring runs in all but the second inning. Braden Meek picked up his first win of the season pitching all five-innings in the 10-0 run rule win. Meek gave up just two hits on in the game with zero walks and struck out three.
Noah Argenta went 3-4 with four RBI's and two runs scored. Jonah Cox added two RBI's and Josh Cameron and Zach Stroh both finished with an RBI each, Cameron's coming off a triple.
Game two was a defensive battle as both teams were unable to find the gaps in the opposing defense to get runners on base. Garden City scored first plating a run in the second and third innings to take a 2-0 lead. Butler tied it up scoring two in the top of four. Garden regained the lead 3-2 in the bottom half of the fourth and then the teams would trade runs the in the fifth and sixth leaving Garden City up one, 5-4 heading into the seventh. Garden City tacked on an insurance run in the bottom of eight taking a two-run lead and the Grizzlies couldn't make up the difference in their final at bat.
Bryce Zimmerer was 2-3 with an RBI, a triple and two runs scored. Jonah Cox finished 1-2 with an RBI, a walk and two stolen bases. Noah Argenta went 1-3 with an RBI and a run scored.
Braxton Hyde got the start for Butler, but it was Cade Phelps who was credited with the loss. Hyde went 3.2 innings allowing three runs, two earned off six hits. He walked one and struck out three. Phelps went 2.1 innings giving up two runs off three hits, one walk and two strikeouts.
NEXT UP: Butler (3-2, 1-1) will play games three and four of the four game set against Garden City on Tuesday, March 16 at McDonald Stadium in El Dorado, KS. First pitch is set for 1:00pm. Their mid-week game scheduled with Neosho has been postponed to Tuesday, March 30 at 1:00pm in Chanute, KS.
