Top Ranked Butler Sweeps Seward

The Seward County Lady Saints gave the defending National Champions and undefeated Butler Grizzlies a scare Monday afternoon at Lady Saints Field in Liberal, but Butler prevailed 2-0 in game one of their Jayhawk West doubleheader and dominated Seward 14-2 in game two to sweep the Lady Saints and send them to a 2nd place finish in the final conference standings.

Butler got on the board first in game one of the doubleheader, using a leadoff walk and a one out double to score the games first run and take a 1-0 lead in the 2nd.

Neither side put anything else together until the 4th when Seward loaded the bases with just one out, but a pair of untimely strikeouts ended the threat and kept the Lady Saints scoreless after four.

Seward had another golden scoring opportunity in the 5th inning as Taylor Kathler laced a single to left center and advanced to third on a Butler error to put her there as the tying run with just one out in the inning. However, Kathler was gunned down at home trying to score on a ground ball to second and a fly out to center field later in the frame ended the Lady Saints chances of scoring the equalizer as they remained down 1-0.

A solo home run for the Grizzlies in the 6th made it a 2-0 game and Seward never threatened again as Butler survived the scare from the Lady Saints with a shutout win for their 85th consecutive victory.

Seward managed just three hits in the loss while Butler only had four in the pitchers dual. Monique Ashley suffered the tough luck loss in the circle for the Lady Saints, going the distance and allowing just the four hits and two runs to the nation’s top ranked team.

SEWARD COUNTY/#1 BUTLER GAME ONE BOX SCORE<http://www.sewardsaints.com/sports/sball/2016-17/boxscores/20170424_lpzr.xml>

There was no scare to be had in game two as Butler jumped all over the Lady Saints early, getting a home run from their leadoff hitter to begin the game and a two run bomb later in the top half of the 1st to take a 3-0 lead before Seward took their first at bats.

The Grizzlies were back at it again in the 2nd, teeing off on Seward pitching once again as they scored six times, including three on a three run shot to make it 9-0.

Butler’s fourth home run of the game and a pair of RBI triples made it 13-0 midway through when the Lady Saints finally got their first run of the game on an RBI single from AJ Cuellar to make it 13-1.

The Grizzlies made it 14-2 in the top half of the 5th and Seward managed just one more run in the bottom half of the inning on an RBI double from Kristyna Garcia as they went down in run rule fashion 14-2.

Butler pounded out 12 hits to Seward’s four in the win. Ruby Gonzalez took the loss on the rubber for Seward, failing to record an out in the 2nd inning as she allowed six earned runs in just one-plus inning pitched to fall to 9-7 on the year.

SEWARD COUNTY/#1 BUTLER GAME TWO BOX SCORE<http://www.sewardsaints.com/sports/sball/2016-17/boxscores/20170424_nlvr.xml>

Seward’s late season skid continues as they fall to 39-20 overall and finish Jayhawk West Conference play at 14-10, tied for second in the final standings. Butler ends the regular season a perfect 48-0 and marches through Jayhawk West play undefeated at 24-0.

The Lady Saints lose a three way tiebreaker for the #2 seed for the Region VI Tournament to Barton, but win the tiebreak against Colby to earn the #3 seed for the Region VI Tournament this weekend. In the first round, Seward will take on Garden City Friday in El Dorado with game times still TBA.

Roy Allen