Butler Baseball Takes Down Cowley in Exciting Mid-Week Game

The Butler Baseball team pulled off an impressive 14-6 victory over the defending National Championship runner-up, the Cowley Tigers. This is the first program win over Cowley since 2015.

In a game that saw several lead changes and tied scores, the Grizzlies did not waiver and took control of the lead following the fifth inning. 

The Tigers were first to score tallying one run in the first inning, but the Grizzlies rallied driving in four runs in the top of the second. Cowley answered back in the bottom of the second as they tied the game at four, then took a one run lead in the bottom of the third. The back and forth continued as the Grizzlies tied the game at five in the top of the fourth; followed by another one run lead from the tigers in the bottom. A Brock Lummus solo homerun lit a fire within the Grizzlies in the top of the fifth that would not be extinguished as Anibal Rivera drove in Micah Kobuszewski. Justin Hudson followed Lummus' lead in the same inning with a homer of his own, that scored himself and Hayden Dyer making the score 10-6. Another Butler run would score in the sixth inning and a two-run homer from Brock Toothaker in the eighth took the Grizzly lead to seven runs. Butler finished the damage in the ninth inning adding one final run that would end the game 14-6. 

The pitcher's mound saw four Butler arms as Jeremy Bingesser started the game for the Grizzlies followed by Zach Murkin, Alan Benhardt, and Zach Brink in relief. Benhardt, a strong hitter in the Butler lineup, threw an impressive three and one third innings giving up no runs on only one hit while striking out four Tiger batters.

The Cowley Tigers had an impressive 2022 season as they made it to the NJCAA Baseball World Series Championship where they fell to Central Arizona College, claiming the runner up spot. The last victory for the Grizzlies against the Tigers occurred on May 8, 2015, in the Region VI Tournament. 

This victory brings Butler above .500 as the season record becomes 10-9, remaining 2-2 in conference play. The Grizzlies are on the road again Wednesday to face the Scotties of Highland Community College in a double header at 2 and 5 p.m.