How Sweep It Is! Butler No Match For Red Hot Saints

One month ago, the Seward County Saints were a 6th place baseball club with a 12-17 overall record on the season.  After winning 18 of their past 20 the Saints are now 30-19 and in sole possession of first place in the Jayhawk West Conference standings after a thorough beat down of visiting Butler Monday afternoon at Brent Gould Field in Liberal.  In a matchup between two of three teams tied for the conference lead going into the weekend, the Saints clearly showed the Grizzlies who was boss Monday, run ruling them 11-1 in game three of the series and doing it again in the series finale 13-3 to sweep the four game set by a combined score of 45-11. 

After sitting around on Sunday because of unplayable field conditions, Seward County and Butler got back to business on Monday afternoon at Brent Gould Field in Liberal.  It took both sides a while to get warmed up after the day off in game three of the series as each had two hits without a run through two innings of play. 

A double play squelched any thought of a Butler lead in the top half of the 3^rd and Seward built off the momentum, scoring three times in the bottom half of the frame on an RBI single from Alex White and a two RBI double from Brent Williams to go in front 3-0. 

Butler answered with their first run of the game in the 4^th, but the little momentum they had would be short lived. 

Antonio Dorado and Jared Ledbetter reached on singles to start the Seward 4^th and both scored on a Butler throwing error to give Seward a 5-1 lead.  They weren't done there, chasing the Butler starter from the game without an out in the inning and pouring on three more runs on RBI singles from Williams and Brandon Rix and another on the Grizzlies second error of the frame to make it 8-1.  With two outs in the inning, Dorado picked up his second RBI knock of the frame, this one a two run double off the wall to blow the game open to 10-1. 

Saints starter Brent Bezio worked a quick top half of the 5^th inning and Seward sealed the deal in the bottom half of the inning, getting a leadoff double from Chad Kennedy and a one out double from Brandon Urquizo to force the run rule just like that in an 11-1 win.

The Saints banged out 15 hits in the win, getting a 3 for 3 game from Rix and 2 hits and 3 RBI's each from Williams and Dorado in the middle of their order.  Bezio improved to 5-2 on the year, going the distance and allowing 6 hits and 1 run while striking out 3. 

SEWARD COUNTY/BUTLER GAME THREE BOX SCORE

The Grizzlies finally had something to celebrate early in the series finale as they scored a 1^st inning run and held the 1-0 lead to the 3^rd after Seward left three on in the first two innings of play.

Butler had a chance to do more damage in the 3^rd, but couldn't score with the bases loaded and just one out with the middle of their order up and it would cost them later on. 

The Saints used some two out magic in the bottom of the 3^rd to score their first runs of the game, getting a two run double from Dillon Drury to grab a 2-1 lead and then Butler error to score another run to make it 3-1. 

A Seward error and hit batter set the table for the Grizzlies in the 4^th and Butler made the Saints pay, scoring a pair of unearned runs in the inning to knot the score up at 3. 

The Saints took the lead right back though in the bottom of the inning as Kennedy tripled off the wall with one out and scored on an RBI single from Urquizo to make it 4-3 in favor of the guys in green. 

Seward starter Thomas Garland needed just nine pitches to retire the Grizzlies in the 5^th and the Saints kept the ball rolling down the mountain in a big way in the bottom of the frame. 

The first nine Seward batters in the 5^th inning reached base safely, getting a two run double from Justin Graff-Rowe and back to back RBI singles from Kennedy and White to open their lead to 8-3.  Later in the inning Williams joined the hit parade, launching a two run double of his own down the line to blow the game open to 10-3. 

The Saints went to their bullpen in the 6^th and reliever Jakob Hernandez answered the bell.  The lefty struck out all three batters he saw in the inning and kept the Saints on top 10-3. 

Seward added another run in the bottom of the 6^th, getting a two out single from Kennedy to score Ledbetter who walked earlier in the frame to make it 11-3. 

Hernandez made quick work of Butler again in the 7^th and the Saints took advantage again, scoring on a passed ball to make it 12-3 and then using a walk with the bases loaded to put the final nail in the Grizzlies coffin to win 13-3 in run rule fashion. 

Once again, the Saints hitters were all over Grizzly pitching, finishing with 16 hits to total 31 hits on the day. Kennedy led the way, going 3 for 4 with 2 RBI's and 2 runs scored while Dorado had 3 hits and Graff-Rowe drove home 3 runs.  Garland earned the win on the bump to improve to 5-1 on the year, going 5 innings and allowing 2 earned runs while striking out 6.  Hernandez worked two scoreless frames to close things out for the Saints while punching out 3 Butler hitters. 

SEWARD COUNTY/BUTLER GAME FOUR BOX SCORE

After going into the weekend in a three way tie for 1^st place with Butler and Dodge City, the Saints take a stranglehold on the Jayhawk West race at weekend's end, as they move two games ahead of the pack at 19-9 in league action.  Seward has now won 18 of their last 20 and is 30-19 overall on the year.  Butler on the other hand will make the long trip back to El Dorado with their tails between their legs as they let a golden opportunity for a Jayhawk West crown slip right through their fingertips as they fall to 23-25 overall and 15-13 in conference play where they are now in a dogfight just to host a 1^st round playoff game in the Region VI Tournament. 

Seward will play a mid-week tuneup Wednesday against Clarendon on the road before closing out Jayhawk West play in Great Bend on Saturday and Sunday as they take on Barton.