Butler Powers on in Region 6 Tournament With 2 Wins

Grizzlies Eliminate Colby, Hutchinson on Day 2 of Region 6 Tournament

Freshman outfielder Kyler Demel's two-run home run in the second inning powered Butler to an 8-3 win over Hutchinson
Freshman outfielder Kyler Demel's two-run home run in the second inning powered Butler to an 8-3 win over Hutchinson
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May 3, 2025

DODGE CITY, Kan. – Following a loss on the opening day of the Region 6 Tournament at Legends Park, top seeded Butler softball needed to win twice on Saturday to keep trekking along.

The Grizzlies (41-7) did just that, winning a pair of elimination games as they beat six-seed Colby 12-4 in a five-inning run rule before taking down two-seed Hutchinson 8-3 in the evening game.

Butler advances to play four-seed Garden City at noon on Sunday in another elimination contest. The Broncbusters previously took down the Grizzlies on Friday, holding them to a season-low two runs in a 4-2 Grizzly loss. Three-seed Barton defeated Garden City on Saturday in the winners bracket final, 5-3.

The winner of Butler/Garden City moves on to play Barton at 2 p.m. The Cougars need just one more win to claim the Region 6 title and a Butler or Garden City win over Barton would force a winner-take-all championship game Monday.

Butler 12, Colby 4 (F/5)

In the opening game of the day, the Trojans and Grizzlies were both scoreless over the first two innings. Colby struck first with two runs in the top of the third off a Tess Polad two-run double.

The Grizzlies responded with five runs in the bottom of the third as Kim Yepez, Jenna Jobe, Kylie Forney and Kory Schoenfeld all drove in runs in the inning.

Chloe Odle got the start in the circle but was pulled after 2.1 innings as she allowed two runs on three hits with one walk and no strikeouts. Addy Ewing (W, 6-1) entered and tossed the final 2.2 innings allowing two runs on three hits.

A Kyrsten Moran RBI double in the bottom of the fourth gave Butler a 6-2 lead but Colby's Sofia Valenti hit a two-run home run in the top of the fifth to pull the Trojans within two at 6-4.

Butler closed the game out in the bottom of the fifth with six runs enacting the 'eight after five' run rule. Moran finished 3-4 driving in two runs while Claire Lopez and Forney were both 2-4 with two RBI. Jenna Jobe's two-run double in the third gave Butler its first lead of the game at 3-2. Butler narrowly outhit Colby 8-6, but four Trojan errors aided the Grizzlies.

Butler 8, Hutchinson 3 (F/7)

In an elimination battle between the regular season co-conference champions, it was Butler who came out on top over the Blue Dragons.

Grizzly starting pitcher Ellie Randall (W, 15-2) held Hutchinson scoreless across her first 5.0 innings of work, helping the Grizzly offense build a 5-0 lead entering the sixth.

Hutch used a two-run home run from Tailor Golly and a Brie Brawner RBI single up the middle to trim the Grizzly lead to two runs at 5-3 and chase Randall. Addy Ewing (Save, 5) entered and promptly got two outs to get the Grizzlies out of the top of the sixth with no further damage.

Randall's final line read 5.1 innings pitched, two earned runs on six hits, two strikeouts and no walks.

Butler got all three runs back in the bottom of the sixth as Hutchinson made three costly errors in the inning allowing Graci Hock, Alivia Darbe and Moran to score in the inning.

The seventh saw the first Blue Dragon reach on an error but Ewing retired the next three in order to close the game out.

Butler struck first in the game in the second inning as Kyler Demel lifted a ball over the right field fence for a two-run home run. The Grizzlies added another run via home run in the fourth when Forney hit a solo home run to right to make it 3-0.

Forney's two-run double in the fifth made it a 5-0 game.

Forney finished 2-3 with three runs driven in. She was the lone Grizzly with multiple hits.

Both teams tallied six hits and made three errors. Hutchinson stranded six runners to Butler's four.

With Hutchinson being eliminated, there will not be a back-to-back Region 6 Champion as the Dragons won the 2024 title over the Grizzlies snapping Butler's streak of seven Region titles in a row.