Butler sends big crowd home happy with win over Coffeyville
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
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0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 7 | 2 |
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1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 0 | X | 9 | 11 | 3 |
The Butler baseball team sent its biggest crowd of the season home happy by coming from behind and then holding on at the end for a 9-8 win over Coffeyville on Wednesday at McDonald Stadium.
On "Pack the Mac" night, Butler jumped to an early 1-0 lead after Levi Parker led off with a triple and scored on a single by Aaron Malone in the bottom of the first inning.
Coffeyville, however, would touch Butler starter Curt Lanham for three runs in the top of the second to go ahead 3-1. The Red Ravens scored three more runs in the fifth inning off Butler reliever Scott Paramore and Coffeyville led 6-1.
Butler got one run back in the fifth inning when Brayon Colley singled to left field, stole second and third and scored on an RBI groundout by Aaron Malone.
Butler then erupted for five runs in the bottom of the sixth, highlighted by a long two-run home run to left field by Brayon Colley. That inning put the Grizzlies ahead 7-6.
Then in the seventh inning, Butler added two more runs – one coming when Levi Parker was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded and the other when Baylor Parker scored on a wild pitch.
Those runs came into play in the top of the ninth. Butler closer Gus Strunk got two quick outs, then gave up a walk, hit a batter and then gave up a two-run double that brought the Red Ravens within a run before getting the final out of the game.
Grant Hamilton, who threw two scoreless innings of relief in the sixth and seventh, earns the win, making him 1-0 on the season. Dakota McKaskle threw a scoreless inning of relief in the eight and Strunk pitched the ninth for his fifth save of the season.
Aaron Malone was 3-4 with a run scored and two runs driven in for Butler, while Brayon Colley and Baylor Parker were both 2-3 at the plate. Colley's home run was his second of the season.
Butler improves to 23-21 on the season. The Grizzlies go on the road for an important conference series this weekend at Garden City, with doubleheaders starting at 3 p.m. on Saturday and 1 p.m. on Sunday.