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Nielsen/Coontz Walk Off Butler Twice to Begin Series

Nielsen/Coontz Walk Off Butler Twice to Begin Series

The Seward County Saints grinded out a pair of 7-6 wins Saturday afternoon at Brent Gould Field, getting a walk off sacrifice fly from Jacob Nielsen in the opener and a walk off double from Cody Coontz in game two to begin their Jayhawk West series against the Butler Grizzlies with a bang. 

 

In a big Jayhawk West Conference series for both sides, it was Butler striking first in game one, using a triple and a Seward error to plate the game's first run and take a 1-0 lead in the 3rd

 

The Saints answered in the bottom half of the inning, evening the score on a wild pitch and going ahead 3-1 on a two out, two run single from Addison Kaasch

 

A walk and a hit batter set the table for the Grizzlies in the 4th and they took advantage with a two run double with two outs to even the score at three. 

 

Again the Saints immediately responded as Law Griener lifted a three run home run over the wall in right center to put Seward back in front 6-3. 

 

It stayed that way through five until Butler used a long ball of their own, a two run shot in the 6th to make it a one run game at 6-5. 

 

The Saints went to their bullpen to try to close it out in the 7th, but the Seward pen couldn't get it done as Butler used a leadoff double, a sacrifice bunt, and a passed ball to plate the tying run to even the score at six. 

 

The Seward offense bailed them out again though as Brendan Madsen walked to lead off the bottom of the 7th, Errett Edwards was hit by a pitch trying to bunt him over and Kaasch walked on five pitches to load the bases with nobody out.  It didn't take long for the Saints to get the job done as Jacob Nielsen lifted a fly ball to the outfield deep enough to score Madsen from third to give Seward a 7-6 walk off win in the opener. 

 

There were more walks, 11, than hits, 10, between the two teams in the ball game as the Saints managed just four base hits while holding Butler to six in the win. Griener and Kaasch combined for two of the Saints four knocks while accounting for five of their seven RBI's in the contest.  Dominic Duran struck out both men he faced out of the Saints bullpen to earn his third win of the year for Seward.  Jared Biddy started and went six innings while allowing four hits and five runs for the Saints in a no decision. 

 

SEWARD COUNTY/BUTLER GAME ONE BOX SCORE

 

The Saints jumped ahead in the bottom half of the 1st in game two as Madsen walked to leadoff the inning and moved around the sacks before scoring on a groundout from Kaasch to make it 1-0 Saints after one. 

 

Butler scored on a groundout of their own to even things in the 2nd, but Tim Fitzgerald ripped a two out triple to bring home a run for Seward in the bottom of the inning to give the Saints a 2-1 lead. 

 

The back and forth battle continued as a Seward error allowed Butler to tie the game up once again in the top of the 3rd but again, it didn't stay tied for long as a double play allowed Seward to score a run in the bottom of the inning and a two out single from Brian Tims scored another to put the Saints up 4-2. 

 

The Saints couldn't get a zero to keep the lead as Butler came right back and scored two more in the 4th to even the score back up at four, and finally things settled down as the score remained that way through six as they went to the 7th tied up 4-4. 

 

A Seward error allowed Butler to get things going in the 7th and the Grizzlies took advantage with a triple to the gap to score one and a single behind that to score another as they took a 6-4 lead. 

 

A pair of doubles for the Saints in the bottom of the 7th got them back to within one at 6-5, but that is the way things sailed to the 9th after Seward was unable to push across the tying run from third in the bottom of the 8th

 

Duran worked a quick top of the 9th for the Saints out of the bullpen and set them up for another opportunity to win in their final at bats in the bottom of the inning. 

 

Jared Biddy walked to start the Saints 9th and a botched defensive play on a bunt for the Grizzlies put two on with nobody out for Seward.  That's when Saints Head Coach Galen McSpadden pushed the perfect button on his bench as he called upon Cody Coontz who hadn't seen a single pitch all day, but took the first pitch he did see to the left center field gap, chasing home both Seward runners on base to give the Saints their second straight walk off win by a count of 7-6.

 

Seward banged out 12 hits in the win, getting two hits, a double, and an RBI each from Tims and Stineman.  While Coontz was the star at the plate with his walk off two run double, Duran was the star on the mound for Seward, working three hitless innings to close out the game, striking out five to earn his second win of the day and his fourth of the season. 

 

SEWARD COUNTY/BUTLER GAME TWO BOX SCORE

 

The Saints improve to 15-22 on the year with the wins while upping their Jayhawk West record to 8-10.  Butler's struggles continue as they fall to 14-21 overall and 6-15 in conference action after the sweep.

 

Seward and Butler will go back at it Sunday at Brent Gould Field in Liberal with a doubleheader beginning at 1:00 to wrap up the series.