Grizzly softball drops three games at Tyler tourney

BULLARD, Texas – Battling against some of the NJCAA's top-ranked softball programs, No. 11 Butler suffered three losses at the Tyler Tournament.

The two-day featured four teams – including Butler – who made the NJCAA National Tournament last season.

Butler (6-6 overall) opened the tourney on Friday with a 9-1 victory over No. 7 Indian Hills (Iowa), then nearly pulled off a come-from-behind win in a 10-9 loss to No. 4 Tyler.

On Saturday, the Grizzlies dropped a 9-8 contest against No. 10 Howard (Texas), then ended the tourney with a rough 8-0 run-rule loss to Three Rivers (Mo.).

"In spite of the losses, I'm very encouraged by the progress this team has made thus far," said Butler head coach Doug Chance. "To go on the road and play eight of 12 games against Top 25 teams without having a single outdoor practice is a tall order. I'm excited about the future of this team. We still have a few things to sort out in the pitching staff and defense, but nothing a little more time on the dirt won't fix."

Butler returns to action with a non-conference road doubleheader at Northern Oklahoma-Enid on Wednesday at 1:00 p.m.  On Thursday, the Grizzlies play a twinbill at Northern Oklahoma-Tonkawa beginning at 1:00 p.m. Butler will then open conference play against Hutchinson in the 2020 home opener at East Park on Saturday, with the doubleheader getting underway at 2:00 p.m.

Butler 9, Indian Hills 1 (5 innings)

Grizzly starter Olivia DePew (5-0) tossed four no-hit innings and allowed just one walk as Butler won the opening game over Indian Hills. 

Taliya Talley and Madi Young led the Butler offense, as both players had three hits and drove in three runs.

Talley put the Grizzlies up 1-0 in the top of the first inning with an RBI double to center to score Young.

Butler followed with a six-run second inning, beginning when Young tripled to center, scoring both Olivia DePew and Shayna Espy. Emily Adler and Hannah Knox extended the Grizzlies' lead to 5-0 with back-to-back RBI doubles, then Talley added a two-run home run to right field. 

Butler tacked on two insurance runs in the fifth as Anna Icenhower led off the inning with a solo homer to left-center. Espy scored the final Grizzly run on a Young single to center.

Indian Hills scored its lone run in the fifth inning when Nicole Bellis scored an unearned run on a passed ball with two outs.

DePew threw just 37 pitches in four innings and allowed just one baserunner – a one-out walk in the third inning after retiring the first seven batters. Only two batters hit the ball out of the infield, as DePew recorded six groundouts, four infield popups and two fly balls. Kris Lucas threw the final inning, allowing one unearned run on one hit and walking two batters.

Tyler 10, Butler 9

Butler nearly recovered from a 7-0 deficit after two innings of play, but fell short after a controversial third out at third base in the top of the seventh inning ended the Grizzlies' rally.

Tyler opened the game with a five-spot in the first inning, with Apaches All-American Tanjala Smith providing a two-run homer in the frame. Tyler's Jazmine Dodd scored the opening run after leading off the inning with a double, then scored on an infield error.

Smith followed with a two-run homer for a 3-0 Apaches lead, then Tyler added two more runs on a Kindall Hernandez single and an error on the play.

Tyler took a 7-0 lead with two more runs in the second inning behind RBI groundouts from Smith and Bailey Krolczyk.

Butler finally got on the board in the top of the third inning, courtesy of a throwing error by Tyler starting pitcher Dakota Stotyn. With runners at first and second and no outs, Shayna Espy grounded back to Stotyn, who had a wild throw in an attempt to force out Jaden Redus at third base. Redus scores on the play for the Grizzly first run.

The Grizzlies added two runs in the inning, as Sydney Adler scored on a Madi Young sacrifice fly, then Espy came home on a Taliya Talley RBI single.

Tyler grabbed a run back in the bottom of the third on a solo homer by Destinee Dixon, but the Grizzlies countered back with three runs in the fourth to cut the Apaches' lead to 8-6.

Young hit a two-out double to center which scored Jaden Redus and Sydney Adler, then Young scored on an Emily Adler single to left field.

Hannah Knox led off the Butler fifth by hammering a solo homer to left-center to pull the Grizzlies within a run, but the Apaches answered with a two-run home run by Brecklyn Dennis in the bottom-half of the inning.

Tyler reliever Grason Long allowed Butler back into the contest after issuing three consecutive walks to Asia Henry, Anna Icenhower and Jaden Redus with two outs. Apaches left fielder Jazmine Dodd then dropped a Sydney Adler fly ball, which allowed Henry and Icenhower. Redus was called out at third base on a close play at third base to end the game, as Dodd assisted on the play after dropping the third out.

Young led the Butler offense with three RBIs, while Knox was the lone Grizzly with two hits. Both Redus and Sydney Adler scored twice. Tyler's offense was led by Dodd, who went 3-for-4 with three runs scored. Dennis and Smith each drove in three runs.

Kelcie Kippes (0-2) took the loss for Butler, as she allowed seven runs – four earned – on six hits in just two innings.

Howard 9, Butler 8

Howard hit four home runs off Grizzly pitching – including a grand slam to Hawks All-American Amanda Gonzalez in the top of the seventh inning with two outs.

Gonzalez and freshman Barbola Saviola put Howard up 2-0 with consecutive solo home runs off Butler starter Olivia DePew in the first inning.

The Grizzlies tied the game in the bottom of the inning when Asia Henry hit a single to right field with the bases loaded. The ball was then booted into foul ground by Hawks right fielder Alyssa Rundell, with the error resulting in Emily Adler and Hannah Knox scoring on the play.

Butler grabbed a 4-2 lead after two innings, as Emily Adler hit an RBI single to score Shayna Espy, then Madi Young came home on a Hannah Knox RBI groundout.

In the Hawks' third, Saviola tied the contest up at 4-all when she clubbed a two-run homer to center with no outs. Howard proceeded to load the bases against Grizzly starter Olivia DePew behind an error, single and a walk. DePew got an infield fly for the first out, but a shallow pop-up ending with a running grab by Grizzly second baseman Emily Adler away from the infield scored a Hawks' run. DePew got a strikeout to end the inning to avoid further damage.

Butler punched back with two runs in the bottom of the third, as Asia Henry led off the inning with a double, then scored on a one-out single by DePew. A Young sacrifice fly to left scored DePew to give Butler a 6-5 lead, as she crossed home plate moments before Sydney Adler was picked off second base.

Henry put Butler up 7-5 with a leadoff homer in the fifth inning, hitting an opposite-field blast to right field.

Butler maintained the lead to the top of the seventh inning. Howard led off the frame with a Bailey Martinez single, then pinch hitter Aryana Gonzalez was issued a one-out walk. Butler recorded the second out on an infield pop-up, but the Hawks loaded the bases on a Sarah Urrea beat out a slow grounder to second. Amanda Gonzalez then delivered the big blow with a grand slam on a 2-2 fastball to put Howard in front 9-7.

The Grizzlies rallied in the bottom of the seventh with a two-out double to right-center by Sydney Adler to score Henry, who led off the inning with a single to right for her fourth hit of the contest. However, a flyout to left by Madi Young ended the game.

Gonzalez led Howard with a 4-for-4 hitting display, belting two home runs and driving in five runs. Saviola went 4-for-5 with two homers and three RBIs.

Henry finished 4-for-4 with three runs scored and three RBIs for Butler. Emily Adler was the only other Grizzly with more than two hits, going 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored.

DePew threw three innings, giving up four earned runs on six hits and striking out five batters. Knox (1-3) was tagged with the loss as she allowed four earned runs on seven hits in the final four innings

Three Rivers 8, Butler 0 (5 innings)

For the first time since 2012, the Grizzlies were run-ruled without scoring a run, as Three Rivers held Butler to just two hits.

The Raiders jumped to a 4-0 lead in the second inning against Butler starter Kelcie Kippes, beginning with a leadoff homer by Lauren Joyner. Blair Quarles and Sydney Walker hit RBI singles, while Jennifer Morey drove in a run on a groundout.

Three Rivers ended the game by scoring four runs in the bottom of the fifth, getting a two-out, walk-off single fo left by Morey.

Madi Young reached base in all three plate appearances on two errors and a walk, while singles by Emily Adler and Faith Denning were the only two Grizzly hits.

Morey and Joyner each drove in two runs for Three Rivers, while Zoe Bisby and Bridgette Swinford both had two hits.

Kippes (0-3) received the loss by allowing four runs – two earned – on five hits through the first two innings. Cassidi Doyle finished the game by throwing the final 2 2/3 innings, getting two shutout innings before serving up four runs on four hits in the final inning.