8th-Seeded Grizzlies Outslugged by 10-Seed Indian Hills; Eliminated from NJCAA World Series
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 13 | 2 |
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0 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 0 | X | 13 | 12 | 1 |
Story by Wyatt Ebersole
OXFORD, Ala -- Offense ruled the day in an elimination game between the 10th seeded Indian Hills Warrior and 8th seeded Butler Grizzlies. The lower seeded Warriors would come out on top in the win-or-go-home slugfest 13-8. With the win, the Warriors advance further in the loser's bracket of the tournament and will play 4-seed Walters State at 2PM
After a silent first inning, it was the Warriors who struck first, putting up five runs in the inning with four runs coming on two costly Grizzly errors. Kaylah Newman and Ryanna Valdivia found some answering runs in the top of the third with an RBI groundout for Newman and RBI single by Valdivia made it just 5-2 Warriors through the top of the third. In the bottom half, Indian Hills would score two more runs on a two-run homer to right field that grew their lead back to five runs at 7-2. In the fourth, Amayiah Hall cut the deficit down to four runs with an RBI single to left, but another two-run homer for the Warriors in the bottom half gave them a six-run lead at 9-3 through four innings. Cady Dickey would cut into the deficit in the top of the fifth, lining a ball of the fence in left-center for a two-RBI double, making the score now just 9-5. Later in the inning, Aly Hageman recorded an RBI single after the Warrior's second baseman slipped when trying to catch her popup. Newman would draw a bases-loaded walk soon after that brought the Grizzlies within two runs, down just 7-9 through the top of the fifth. Indian Hills once again responded to the Grizzly rally with a big fly, this one a three-run shot to centerfield giving the Warriors a 12-7 lead. The Warriors added another run in the inning with another homer, this one to left that made it 13-7. Kendyl Anderson would add a Grizzly run in the sixth when she reached on a bases-loaded fielder's choice to make it 13-8 after the top of the sixth. Reliever Ariel Matula set the Warriors down in the sixth, meaning the Grizzlies would need five runs in the seventh to extend their season. The Grizzlies showed fight, loading the bases with no outs in the inning, but could not bring anyone home and the Grizzlies fell to the Warriors 13-8.
The game was defined by the Grizzlies not being able to capitalize often enough with runners on base, as the Grizzlies stranded twelve runners in the game.
Batting leadoff for the first time this year, Amayiah Hall was an excellent 3-4 at the plate recording an RBI while drawing a walk.
In her final game as a Grizzly, Briona Woods went 3-5 at the plate and came around to score twice.
The loss ends the Grizzlies season. They Grizzlies end the year with a record of 46-12 and they won both the Region VI and Plains District Championships.
NOTES: The Grizzlies are 21-18 at the NJCAA World Series since 2011…Butler Softball is now 4-9 in elimination games at the NJCAA World Series since 2011…The Grizzlies are 4-2 vs Indian Hills since 2012
