Butler sweeps Greyhounds in Super-Regional

EL DORADO -- Butler swept Fort Scott Community College in two games in a Region VI Baseball Super-Regional at McDonald Stadium here Saturday, winning game one of the doubleheader 12-1 and taking the second game in the bottom of the ninth, 7-6.

Fort Scott's season ended with a record of 31-27. Butler (36-21) advances to the Region VI finals at Wichita, which begin Friday. Seven other Super-Regional winners will join Butler for double-elimination play.

Fort Scott's only run in the opener was scored by Austin Oakes in the top of the seventh and wasn't enough to keep the 10-run rule from kicking in. Oakes doubled to lead off the inning and scored on Kolby Greenslade's one-out double.

Butler pitcher Grant Hamilton (7-4) held Fort Scott to 5 hits. The other three were picked up by Josh Griffith, Parker O'Dell and Doug Jenkins.

Jake Huscroft and Cameron Knight each went 3 for 4 for the Grizzlies.

Aaron Mason (4-5) took the loss for the Greyhounds, allowing 5 runs on 6 hits, all of which came in the second inning as Butler established control.

Fort Scott scored 3 times in the top of the first inning of game two. Kaden Shaffer led off with a single and moved to second on Jake Harvey's sacrifice. Lance Barkley reached on an error and Griffith singled to load the bases. O'Dell executed a squeeze bunt which got Shaffer in with the first run. Then Greenslade doubled to score Barkley and Griffith.

Butler came back to tie the score in the bottom of the inning. Dalton Wheat hit a solo home run with one out. Then Evan Koehler followed with a double. Alex Wiess hit a single. Zach Baker's sacrifice fly scored Koehler. Weiss came in on Knight's double to tie the score.

The 'Hounds went back in front in the top of the second. Shaffer hit a leadoff single. Harvey singled with Shaffer scoring when Wheat misplayed the ball in right field. Harvey, now at second, was bunted to third by Barkley. Oakes' 2-out double put Fort Scott up 2 runs at 5-3.

Butler went ahead in the bottom of the inning. Huscroft led off the inning and reached second on an error in center field. Shane Bridges drew a walk and Ty Reddington sacrificed the runners over. Wheat's double scored both Huscroft and Bridges to tie the score. Koehler was hit by a pitch before Weiss' single scored Wheat with the go-ahead run.

Fort Scott tied the score in the sixth. Shaffer walked with 2 out. Harvey reached on an error which allowed Shaffer to reach third. Barkley's single tied the score at 3-3.

Baker reached for Butler in the bottom of the ninth on an error. Knight moved him over with a sacrifice. Trever Ezell and Huscroft hit back-to-back singled, the latter scoring Baker with the winning run.

Shaffer, Barkley, Harvey and Greenslade each had 2 of Fort Scott's 11 hits. Wheat went 4 for 5 for Butler while Weiss was 3 for 5.

Both decisions went to relief pitchers. Butler's Brennan Walker (7-5) was the winning pitcher, allowing an unearned run on 4 hits and a walk while striking out 3 in 7 1/3 innings. Matt Peterson (4-5) took the loss for the Greyhounds, going 6 1/3 innings and allowing an unearned run on 8 hits and 2 walks while striking out 5.

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Game One

Fort Scott...................... 000 000 1xx -- 1 5 0

Butler............................. 050 304 xxx -- 12 15 1

WP -- Hamilton (7-4). LP -- Mason (4-5).

HR -- None.

Game Two

Fort Scott..................... 320 001 000 -- 6 11 2

Butler............................ 330 000 001 -- 7 14 4

One out when winning run scored.

WP -- Walker (7-5). LP -- Peterson (4-5).

HR -- Fort Scott: None. Butler: Wheat (7, 1st inn., none on, 1 out).