Hock’s Walk-Off Home Run Leads No. 17 Butler to Split With Hutch

EL DORADO, Kan. – Freshman outfielder Graci Hock launched a two-run home run in the bottom of the eight inning in game one of 17th ranked Butler softball's doubleheader with Hutchinson to walk off the Blue Dragons in game one.

Butler (24-6, 13-5) won the first game 8-6 as Hock came up clutch but Hutchinson (28-6, 20-2) took game two 9-7 as the two rivals split at East Park on Monday afternoon. The two teams finish the regular season 2-2 vs. each other with two splits, one at Fun Valley and one at East Park. The Grizzlies remain in third place in the league standings behind first place Hutch and second place Barton (19-3).

WALK IT OFF GRACI HOCK‼️

The freshman from Arkansas blasts one over the LC fence and delivers Butler an extra inning walk off win over Hutch, 8-6!#RoarGrizz�� pic.twitter.com/ddd21Dp3Jq

— Butler Grizzlies (@ButlerGrizzlies) April 7, 2025

Game one was a game of perseverance for the Grizzlies. They trailed 5-3 heading into the bottom of the seventh inning before Hock was inserted as a pinch hitter and doubled to right field scoring Madison Nightingale to pull Butler within 5-4. Chloe Cardona laced a single to right the next at bat to score Hock and tie the game 5-5. Hutch plated a run in the eighth inning as the game moved to extras but Addy Ewing held them off following that and Butler trailed 6-5 going to the bottom half of the eighth. Down to their final out, Jenna Jobe singled up the middle to score Kyrsten Moran, tying the game 6-6. Hock, who stayed in after the pinch-hit RBI, stepped back up to the plate and this time launched a ball over the left center field fence for a walk off two-run home run handing the Blue Dragons just their second conference loss of the season, both at the hands of the Grizzlies. Ellie Randall got the start in the circle for Butler tossing 4.0 innings allowing four earned runs on six hits, striking out one and walking one. Addy Ewing (W, 4-1) threw the final 4.0 innings allowing one run on three hits, striking out one. Jobe was 3-4 with two runs scored while Cardona was also 3-4 with a run driven in. Hutch was led by Haley Kruger's 3-4 performance at the plate, driving in three runs. Morgan Tomlinson (L, 13-3) was tagged with the loss for Hutch as she allowed the home run in the eighth.

An early four spot from Hutchinson and a questionable late call saw the Blue Dragons win 9-7 in game two. Hutch got out to a 4-0 lead in the top of the first as they chased Grizzly starting pitcher Chloe Odle (L, 8-3) making way for Maggie Grant. Butler had a big first inning of their own plating three runs as Jobe singled in Moran and Kylie Forney hit a two-run home run to make it 4-3 Hutch after one. Hutchinson never trailed in the game but the Grizzlies pulled within a run three times. A Hutch throwing error in the bottom of the second scored Kory Schoenfeld making it 5-4 Hutch and later in the fourth inning Moran drove in two runs on a single up the middle to make it 8-7. The Dragons added a run in the top of the fifth off Kaibryn Kruger's second home run of the game to make it 9-7, the last runs of the game. Butler threatened in both the sixth and seventh but could not push a run across. In the sixth, the first two batters reached base but a double play and a groundout later and the Grizzlies were out of the inning. The bottom of the seventh inning saw some controversy as with two outs and a runner on, Schoenfeld appeared to single to left field but the umpire called her out of the batter's box for the final out of the game. Ewing threw 2.2 innings of one run softball for Butler while Ellie Randall tossed the final 2.0 innings without giving up a run. Claire Lopez, Moran, Cardona, Schoenfeld and Kyler Demel all had multi-hit games.

TOP PERFORMERS GAME 1:

Jenna Jobe (Vilonia, AR): 3-4, 2 R, RBI

Graci Hock (Cabot, AR): 2-2, 3 RBI, 2 R, HR

Chloe Cardona (Fort Worth, TX): 3-4, RBI

Addy Ewing (Owasso, OK): Win, 4.0 IP, 1 R, 3 H, 1 K, 0 BB

TOP PERFORMERS GAME 2:

Claire Lopez (Olathe, KS): 2-3, 2 SB, 1 R

Kyrsten Moran (Little Elm, TX): 2-4, 2 RBI, SB

Kyler Demel (Derby, KS): 2-3, RBI, R

Kylie Forney (Andover, KS): 1-3, 2 RBI, HR

Kory Schoenfeld (Wichita, KS): 2-4, 2 R, 3B

Ellie Randall (Wichita, KS): 2.0 IP, 0 R, 1 H

NEXT UP:

Butler hosts Seward at East Park on Wednesday, first pitch at 1 p.m.