Seward remains second in the West after a split with Butler

LIBERAL, Kan. - Seward County Community College ends their series at Butler Community College with a win 14-9 followed by a loss of 9-6. With a series split against the Grizzlies, the Saints remain in second place in the Jayhawk West with a 15-9 conference record and a 20-20 overall record. Seward County will have a non-conference game on Tuesday versus Clarendon College and will compete against Pratt Community College for a four-game series this weekend.

In the first game of the day on Saturday the Saints took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning with a home run by Kase Johnson. Seward County added one more run in the second with a single by Peter Goldy to score AJ Folds to take a 2-0 lead over Butler. In the third inning, the Saints continued their hot hitting with an RBI single to center field by Wyatt Grant scored KP Werner from second base. Seward County scored two more in the fourth on a KP Werner Single to score Sam Berberich, and a double from Kase Johnson to score Werner to lead 5-0.

Butler responded in the bottom of the fourth with six runs to take a 6-5 lead over the Saints. Seward responded in the fifth to regain the lead after scoring eight runs in the inning to lead 13-6. Sam Berberich started things off with an RBI single to tie the game at 6 all with Braden Boisvert scoring from third. Peter Goldy connected on an RBI double to score George Gallardo, and Richard Armijo followed him up with a double of his own to score Berberich and Goldy. With the two outs, Kase Johnson singled to left field to score KP Werner to give the Saints a 10-6 lead. One batter later Braden Boisvert homered to left field to score Johnson and Wyatt Grant to give Seward County the 13-6 lead.

This lead was enough for the Saints to hold on for the victory 14-9 and gave the Saints a 20-19 overall record and a 15-8 conference record. 

Mason Martinez started for the Saints and allowed seven hits, seven runs in five innings to receive the win. Cory Didier came in to close out the game with two innings pitched and allowed two hits, two earned runs, and three strikeouts.

The final game of the series started off with a two run home run by Kase Johnson, and Braden Boisvert followed up with a solo home run to left field to give the Saints a 3-0 lead in the first inning. Both teams turned double plays in the field to go one, two three in the second inning. In the top of the third inning, AJ Folds singled to left field and scored Johnson from third base for Seward County to lead 4-0. The Grizzlies finally got on the board in the bottom of the third with a fielder's choice that scored a runner from third base.

KP Werner homered in the top of the fourth with two outs to give Seward a 5-1 advantage over Butler. The Grizzlies scored two more runs in the fifth off of back-to-back singles to cut the lead down to 5-3 and tied the game off of a two-run home run in the sixth inning. Top of the seventh Werner responded immediately with a solo home run of his own to take a 6-5 over Butler.

Unfortunately, this was the last time the Saints led in the game with the Grizzlies hitting two home runs in the seventh inning to take an 8-6 lead and in the eighth added one more run to take the lead 9-6. 

Dylan Day received the loss after giving up three runs on three hits over one inning, striking out two, and walking one. Eric Turner started the game for Seward County and allowed six hits, five runs over five innings, and striking out six.

Seward County will be back in action on Tuesday to take on Clarendon College for one nine-inning game at 3 pm at Brent Gould Field.