ALVA, Okla. – Butler baseball head coach Ty Reese got his tenure kicked off with two run rule victories over Northwestern Oklahoma State's JV squad on Wednesday, 12-1 and 14-2 at Glass Family Field at Myers Stadium.
Game 1 (5 inn.): Butler 12, NWOSU JV 1
The Grizzlies were able to secure a run rule victory in five innings in their season opener. They used a seven-run fifth inning to fuel themselves to victory.
On the first pitch of the 2024 season, leadoff man Garrett Fager sent a ball over the left-center field wall for a solo home run giving Butler a 1-0 lead.
Caden Kickhaefer (W, 1-0) got the start for Butler and tossed 3.0 scoreless innings, striking out four, walking one and allowing a lone hit. He earned the win as the game went only five innings.
Butler added two runs in the third and fourth innings, building a 5-0 lead.
Shortstop Anibal Rivera laced an RBI double down the right field line scoring Fager to make it 2-0 in the top of the third. First baseman Justin Hudson scored Rivera with an RBI single to center field in the next at bat giving Butler a 3-0 lead.
Catcher Tyler Butash doubled down the right field line in the fourth, scoring CJ Reid. Rivera followed that up two at bats later with an RBI triple to center field, scoring Butash and making it 5-0.
The game unraveled in the fifth inning as Butler plated seven runs on three hits. Butash started the scoring off with an RBI single through the left side, scoring Taber Stokes. Breon Horne had an RBI groundout to score Reid. Fager delivered with his second hit of the day, an RBI double to left field that scored Butash. With the bases loaded, second baseman Brock Toothaker walked, earning an RBI to make it a 9-0 game. Rivera then scored on a wild pitch in the next at bat and designated hitter Cole Murrell hit a two-RBI single, scoring Toothaker and Hudson to round out the scoring for the Grizzlies.
Jeremy Bingesser threw a scoreless inning in the fourth and Kage Ralstin closed out the game, allowing the lone run in the fifth inning before inducing a pop up to first base and getting a strike out.
Game 2 (6 inn.): Butler 14, NWOSU JV 2
The hot offensive start continued for Butler as they pounded out 14 runs in the second game, winning 14-2 in a six-inning run rule.
Butler immediately got the scoring started with three runs in both the first and second innings. Brock Toothaker hit an RBI single to right field, scoring Rivera to get the scoring started. Stokes then hit a two-run single to left field, scoring Toothaker and Hudson ad Butler took a 3-0 lead.
In the second inning Fager double to right field, scoring Charlie Marcantel to make it 4-0. Breon Horne scored on a wild pitch, making it 5-0 and Hudson hit a sacrifice fly to center to score Fager.
Hudson homered in the fourth inning to center field for his first of the season, a two-run shot.
Marcantel homered in the fifth to left field, a solo shot and his first collegiate home run.
Butler scored four runs in the sixth as Jordan Hedrick singled through the left side to score Hudson, Reid singled to left field to score Hedrick, Marcantel had an RBI ground out that scored Stoked and Horne doubled to center, scoring Reid.
Austin Bagnall (W, 1-0) got the start on the mound, tossing 3.0 innings allowing a lone hit and no runs. He struck out two and walked none. Caden Hinther, Kaden Spray and Lane McEachern combines to throw the final 3.0 innings. Hinther allowed two runs while McEachern struck out two.
NEXT UP:
Butler travels to Kansas City to take on KCKCC in one nine inning game on Friday, Feb. 9th at 1 p.m.
