Butler Softball Falls to Hutchinson in Double-Header Sweep

HUTCHINSON, Kan. – The Butler Grizzlies fell to the Hutchinson Blue Dragons in a double-header sweep in their conference opener on Thursday afternoon. 

Game 1 (7 inn.) – Hutchinson 4, Butler 3

The Grizzlies started game one on a hot start, scoring three runs within the first three innings to take a 3-0 lead over Hutchinson. Lizzy Lassley brought in Haely Hagemann for an RBI double to score the first run of the game in the top half of the first inning. Elisabeth Nobert got an RBI single to score Kate Free in the second, and in the third, DeShawna Bryant got an RBI single of her own that scored sophomore Kyler Demel to put the Grizzlies up 3-0. 

Hutchinson then scored two runs in the fifth and one more in the sixth to tie the game at 3 apiece. After coming up empty in the top half of the seventh, Hutchinson had the bases loaded with one out and hit a walk-off RBI single and took game one over the Grizzlies 4-3. 

Butler had three hits in 27 at bats and struck out three times. All six Grizzly hits came from six different batters. Hutchinson amassed 11 hits in 31 at bats. 

Sophomore Ellie Randall started in the circle for the Grizzlies and threw 4.2 innings. Randall allowed six hits, two earned runs and had two strikeouts against 22 batters. Emilee Stofferahn (L, 0-3) suffered the loss. 

Game 2 (7 inn.) – Hutchinson 3, Butler 2

Hutchinson got on the board first in game 2 in the top half of the first inning and never trailed. The Blue Dragons scored their first run off a sac fly and later got two more runs on a 2 RBI single to extend their lead to 3-0. 

The score remained a 3-0 lead for Hutchinson until the seventh inning. The Grizzlies finally got on the board after Lizzy Lassley's RBI double. Karson Holson then scored Lassley off a RBI ground out to cut the Hutchinson lead to 3-2. With two outs and a runner on second, the Grizzlies popped out in foul territory where the Hutchinson first baseman made the game winning catch to sweep the Grizzlies in a double-header for the first time since 2002. 

The Grizzlies had seven total hits in 28 at bats while holding Hutchinson to only five hits. 

Anistyn Marcotte (L, 1-1) started in the circle and suffered the loss for the Grizzlies. Ellie Randall came in for relief and threw 5.2 innings and allowed only four hits. 

Next up: The Grizzlies are off until next Wednesday as they will host the Seward County Saints for Butler's home debut at East Park. First pitch is set for 1 p.m.