Butler softball opens season with three wins in San Antonio

SAN ANTONIO, Texas – Butler softball opened the 2020 regular season with three victories at the San Antonio Juco Tournament this past weekend.

The seventh-ranked Grizzlies (3-1 overall) won Friday's season opener with a 6-4 victory over Northeast Texas before suffering a 16-8 defeat against Trinity Valley (TX). On Saturday, Butler rolled to a 14-3 run-rule win over Hill (TX), then finished out the tourney with a 7-3 victory against Northeast.

Butler will next be in action in two weeks at the Cowtown Classic in Fort Worth, Texas, with five games scheduled over the two-day tourney. The Grizzlies will play three games against Texas schools – Alvin, Weatherford and North Central Texas – on Friday, Feb. 14, then finish out the Classic on Saturday with games against Coastal Bend (TX) and Rose State (OK).

Butler 6, Northeast Texas 4

Sophomore Anna Icenhower hit two home runs and drove in four runs with a 3-for-4 hitting display in Friday's season-opening victory over Northeast.

Icenhower broke a 3-3 tie in the fifth inning with a two-run laser to center, then added a solo blast to left in the seventh inning to extend the Grizzlies' lead.

Butler starter Olivia DePew earned her first win of the season, striking out six batters over four innings of relief. The sophomore righthander allowed one earned run on three hits while walking two.

Butler jumped out to a 3-0 lead, scoring the game's first two runs in the opening inning after placing two runners in scoring position.

With one out in the top of the first, Northeast issued a walk to Emily Adler, then Asia Henry delivered a double to left field. A Taliya Talley RBI groundout scored the first run as Adler crossed the plate from third base. Following a hit-by-pitch, Icenhower singled up the middle to score Henry.

The Grizzlies utilized their speed in the second inning, as Madi Young reached first on an infield single, then stole second with Adler batting. After a walk to Adler, Young had a delayed steal of third base, which forced a throw to the bag and allowed Adler to swipe second base. On the same play, Young stole home after Northeast attempted to throw Adler out at second.

In the third inning, Northeast cut Butler's lead to 3-2 with a Pearl Perry two-run homer to left off Grizzly starter Hannah Knox. The Eagles then tied the game in the bottom of the fourth when pinch runner Analise Padilla scored on a passed ball.

With two outs in the top of the fifth, DePew singled to left field, then Icenhower hit her first home run of the season – a line-drive dart over the centerfield wall off of Northeast starter Emily Cole.

Up 5-3 in the seventh, Icenhower added a solo homer to left with one out to give Butler a three-run lead.

Northeast scored its final run when pinch hitter Kendal Wiley hit a solo homer to center with just one out. After DePew issued a walk to Kadi Downs, the Grizzlies avoided further damage by turning a game-ending 6-4-3 double play to win the game.

In the leadoff spot, Young finished 2-for-4 with four stolen bases, while Henry went 2-for-4 with a pair of doubles. Knox went three innings, giving up just one hit on Perry's homer, walking four and recording three strikeouts in her Butler debut.

The Grizzlies finished with six stolen bases and turned two double plays in the opener.

Trinity Valley (TX) 16, Butler 8 – 6 innings

A sixth-inning collapse by the Grizzlies turned a one-run contest into a run-rule loss during Friday's second game, as Trinity exploded for seven runs in the bottom of the sixth to earn the 16-8 win.

The run-rule loss was Butler's first since an 11-3 five-inning loss at Barton on March 26, 2015.

Butler held a brief 2-0 lead in the contest, as Madi Young scored the opening run on after Trinity committed two errors on a Shayna Espy grounder. Three batters later, Espy scored from third when Hannah Knox singled through the left side.

In the bottom of the second inning, Trinity quickly loaded the bases with no outs – getting consecutive singles and a hit-by-pitch. After a force-out at home plate for the first out, Hailey Avalos cleared the bases with a three-run double to left. Avalos later scored on an infield error to give the Cardinals a 4-2 lead.

Trinity extended its lead to 6-2 when Reilly Lawrence stole home plate on a double steal, then Destiny Torres was ruled safe at home on an obstruction call.

Faith Denning sparked Butler's comeback bid with a three-run homer in the fourth. Knox led off the inning with a double to left-center, then two batters later, Gentry Shepherd walked to put runners at the corners. Denning then hammered her first home run to left-center to pull the Grizzlies within a run at 6-5.

Trinity answered with three unearned runs in the bottom-half of the inning off Butler reliever Londyn Bardin, beginning with a Josie Sumpter sacrifice fly and RBI singles by Lawrence and Alondra Vasquez.

In the Grizzlies' fifth, Butler again cut the deficit to one by scoring three runs on just one hit. Knox started the scoring with a one-out RBI single through the left side to bring in pinch runner Sydney Adler. With two outs, Shepherd reached first on an infield error, then Trinity starter Josie Sumpter issued three consecutive walks, which scored Knox and Shepherd.

Down 9-8, Butler put two runners on base to open the top of the sixth inning, but two flyouts and a strikeout ended the threat.

In the bottom of the inning, Trinity loaded the bases with no outs as Grizzly reliever Cassidi Doyle allowed two singles and issued a walk. After a pitching change, the Cardinals had consecutive RBI singles by Liz Feld and Lawrence, then added another run on an infield error.

With the bases still loaded, Kristina Sanchez broke the game open by clearing the bases on a single to center. A misplay by Espy on the hit allowed the Cardinals to take a 15-8 lead. Sanchez then ended the game by scoring from third base on a wild pitch.

Knox was Butler's top offensive performer, going 3-for-4 with two runs scored and two RBIs. Denning led the Grizzlies with three RBIs on the home run, while Shepherd scored two runs.

Butler freshman starter Kelcie Kippes (0-1) allowed six runs on four hits in three innings. Butler's bullpen was tagged for 10 runs in just 2.1 innings – although only six were earned.

Butler 14, Hill (TX) 3

In Saturday's opening game against Hill, Grizzly starter Hannah Knox picked up her first collegiate win with 4 2/3 shutout innings, while Butler swiped 10 stolen bases enroute to an 11-3 run-rule victory.

The Grizzlies ran away with the win behind a nine-run sixth inning, taking advantage of five Hill errors and sending 13 batters to the plate.

Madi Young was the offensive catalyst with four stolen bases, three runs scored and going 2-for-4 in the leadoff spot for the Grizzlies.

Young scored Butler's opening run after a leadoff walk, stealing second, advancing to third on a groundout and scoring on a Knox sacrifice fly to right.

The Grizzlies added to their lead in the top of the third, as Emily Adler and Taliya Talley both had RBI doubles. With two outs, Gentry Shepherd scored from second base when Hill second baseman Alli Humphries failed to catch an Anna Icenhower pop-up.

Up 4-0, Butler grabbed another run in the fourth as Jaden Redus scored from third on a throwing error. Redus led off the inning with an infield single, moved to second on a Sydney Adler single, then advanced to third on a fielder's choice. Shayna Espy then stole second base and a throwing error on the play by Hill catcher Shelby Mitchell allowed Redus to score from third.

Butler's defense kept Hill from scoring, as the Rebels stranded two runners in each of the first three innings. In Hill's opening frame, the Rebels put two runners in scoring position with two outs, but Knox recorded a strikeout to end the inning.

After the Grizzlies recorded two outs to open both the second and third innings, Redus closed both frames by assisting putouts on inning-ending groundouts to third base.

Hill finally broke through on the scoreboard in the fifth with a two-run homer to center by Mitchell.

In Butler's sixth, Redus opened the inning with a solo homer to center field. The Grizzlies proceeded to put the next five batters on base, beginning with Sydney Adler singling through the left side and stealing second. After an Espy walk, the Grizzlies executed a double steal. An errant throw on the play allowed Adler to score for a 7-2 lead.

Young followed with an RBI single down the right-field line to score Espy, then stole second base and took third on a throwback to the pitcher after an Emily Adler walk. Adler moved up to second on a stolen base before Butler loaded the bases after a Knox walk.

Hill finally recorded an out, but even the putout added to Butler's lead as Gentry Shepherd hit a sacrifice fly to center to score Young.

Butler reloaded the bases again after Icenhower walked, then the Grizzlies scored two runs when a wild throw to home on a force-out attempt allowed both Knox and Adler to score.

A Redus sacrifice fly and an infield error brought in two more unearned runs, then Espy capped the inning with an RBI triple to right to score Sydney Adler for a 14-2 Butler lead.

Along with Young, Butler had five players with two hits each. Emily Adler, Redus and Sydney Adler each had two hits and scored twice, while Talley went 2-for-2 with a double.

Both the Adler sisters and Espy stole two bases each, as the Grizzlies recorded double digits in steals for the first time since swiping 13 bases against Northeast Texas in the 2017 season opener in Gainesville, Texas.

Butler 7, Northeast Texas 3

The Grizzlies powered their way to victory over Northeast with three solo home runs from Knox, Talley and DePew, while the defense recorded four double plays.

Knox went 3-for-4 with three RBIs and two runs scored, while Shayna Espy and Talley had two hits each in the victory.

Making her first start on the season, DePew (2-0) threw five innings while allowing two runs on four hits and striking out two. DePew gave up just one hit in the first three innings, with the lone hit erased on a double play in the second inning.

In the fourth inning, Butler broke the scoreless tie with consecutive home runs from Knox and Talley, as both hitters hammered the first pitch from Northeast starter Colynn Schuricht. Knox blasted her solo shot to left-center, while Talley hit a towering shot down the right-field line to give the Grizzlies a 2-0 lead.

Northeast countered in the bottom of the inning with a tying two-run homer to center from Pearl Perry.

Butler recaptured the lead in the fifth after Northeast retired the first two batters of the inning. Madi Young walked, stole second and scored on an Espy single down the left-field line. Espy then put Butler up 4-2 by crossing the plate when Knox singled through the left side of the infield.

DePew padded Butler's lead in the sixth inning with a solo homer to left-center with two outs, putting the Grizzlies up 5-2.

Butler would add two more runs in the final inning on three consecutive hits. Espy lead off the frame with a single, then scored on a Knox triple to right field. The Grizzlies' final run was scored as Talley doubled down the left-field line to drive in Knox.

NOTES: Knox led the Grizzlies with a .545 average (6-of-11) with six RBIs over the two-day trip… In four games, Butler finished with 18 stolen bases, with Young leading the way with nine thefts. Young scored a team-high six runs.