Saints win on a walk off but loses game two to Butler

LIBERAL, Kan. - Seward County Community College went 1-1 against Butler Community College in Liberal on Thursday with a game one win 15-14 and a loss of 18-8 in game two. The Saints were able to score five runs in the bottom of the seventh to win game one but the Grizzles scored 18 runs to force the run rule in the seventh. With the split, the Saints remain in second place in the Jayhawk West with a 14-8 conference record and they sit at 19-19 on the season.

To start off the day Butler scored first with four runs in the top of the first inning. Seward County responded with Kase Johnson and Wyatt Grant both scoring on separate wild pitches to cut the Grizzlies lead down to 4-2 after the first inning. George Gallardo connected on a solo home run in the bottom of the second to get the Saints within one run, 4-3. Butler responded with a solo home run of their own in the top of the third inning to regain a two run lead, 5-3. 

In the bottom of the third inning, Gallardo connected for an RBI single to center field to score Grant from third base. Richard Armijo came to the plate next and had a base-clearing doubled to center field to score Braden Boisvert, Peter Goldy, and Gorge Gallardo. With the double, the Saints took the lead for the first time in the contest at 7-5 over the Grizzlies.

Butler started off the fourth inning with a solo home run to left field and the Saints led 7-6. AJ Folds was able to respond for Seward County with a double to left field to score KP Werner and Boisvert to give the Saints a 9-6 advantage. In the fifth inning, KP Werner hit an RBI single to center and Landon Anderson came in to score from third base to extend the lead to 10-6. 

The Grizzlies were still looking to get back in front of Seward and scored two runs in the top of the sixth. Seward did not score in the bottom of the sixth but was just three outs away from a game one win. The Grizzlies spoiled the party with an RBI single to get within one run at 10-9. Butler later hit a grand slam to take a 13-10 lead and the next batter connected for a solo home run to center. 

Seward trailed 14-10 after the Grizzlies scored six runs in the top of the seventh inning. To start off the bottom of the seventh inning Landon Anderson connected on a solo shot to left field to get the Saints offense started. Boisvert doubled to center field to score KP Werner to cut the lead down to just two runs, 14-12. Kase Johnson was able to score off of a passed ball and allowed Kody Bigford to steal third. The next batter Peter Goldy connected for an RBI single to tie the game at 14 all. 

With the bases loaded Landon Anderson came through with an RBI single to center field to score Max Garrett from third and the Saints won 15-14 in dramatic fashion. 

Eric Turner received the victory from the mound and went two-thirds of an inning and allowed zero runs on one hit. Sam Berberich started the game for Seward County and allowed four hits and six runs over four innings, striking out five in the game.

In game two of the doubleheader, the Saints gave up eight runs in the top of the first inning and played from behind for the rest of the game. The Saints looked to even things up in the bottom of the first inning with Kase Johnson able to triple to center field to score Werner. Wyatt Grant connected on a two-run home run and scored Johnson to trail the Grizzlies 8-3 after the first.

Butler added one more run in the top of the second and followed up with five more runs in the third and led 14-3 over Seward. Grant connected on his second home run of the game and Seward trailed by 10, 14-4. In the fifth inning, KP Werner hit a two run home run to score Armijo and the Saints looked to get the game back in their favor.

After Butler scored one run in the top of the fifth, Seard answered with two more runs in the bottom of the fifth to trail 15-8 to the Grizzlies. Butler scored one run in the sixth off of a wild pitch and added two more in the seventh after a two run home run to take a 18-8 advantage. The Saints were unable to get a run in the bottom of the seventh and the game was called due to the 10 run rule after the seventh.

Freshman Dylan Day received the loss on the mound with two innings pitched and allowed 13 runs with nine hits. 

Seward County will finish the series with two games in El Dorado, Kansas on Saturday, April 24th starting at 1 pm.