If the Barton Community College softball team had any thoughts to knock off Butler Community College in the winner's bracket of the Region VI Tournament, the No. 7 ranked Grizzlies quickly dampened those hopes Saturday at Wichita State University's Wilkens Stadium. Butler struck for four runs in the first and six in the second as the Grizzlies lit up the scoreboard scoring in every inning for the 13-3 five-inning contest. The loss drops the 20-23 Lady Cougars to the 12:00 p.m. elimination game on Sunday against Garden City Community College. The Broncbusters stayed alive with a 7-4 victory Saturday afternoon ending Colby Community College's season at 10-40. Butler advances to the 10:00 a.m. winner's bracket final against Seward County Community College.
Butler built a twelve run lead through three innings before the Lady Cougars struck for three in the top of the fourth. Ashlyn Osborne led off the inning with a hustling double down the right field line as the sophomore kept the motor running to slide in beating the throw. Following an Emelia Davies ground out, Erika harper singled to left giving the Lady Cougars runners at the corners with one out. Fouling off a third strike, Allison Smith blasted her second homerun of the day driving the 0-2 pitch over the 215' sign in center field for her sixth of the season cutting the deficit to 12-3.
Butler responded in the home half with a single run in the home half forcing Barton to come up with three in the top to keep the game going.
It was looking possible for the Lady Cougars as Darby Grizzard, Davies, and Harper each had singles in the evening but Barton would run themselves out of the opportunity getting caught in a game ending run down to fall 13-3.
Osborne took the loss in the circle lasting only 1.2 innings giving up twelve hits and nine earned runs to drop to 12-13 on the season. Jaelyn Monhollon pitched the final 2.1 innings scattering five hits and three earned runs while walking one and striking out two.
Harper was the lone Lady Cougar to get a multi-hit game as the freshman went 2-3 from the plate while Smith's three RBI's were the lone runs.