Top-seeded staves off elimination against Walters State
May 17, 2013
STEVE JOHNSON, DIXIE STATE UNIVERSITY
ST. GEORGE, Utah – Top-ranked and top-seeded Butler (KS) Community College bounced back from its second round loss in a big way by taking care of #7-seed Walters State (TN) CC, 9-1 in five innings, to advance in the consolation bracket at the 2013 NJCAA Division I Women’s Softball National Championship tournament Thursday night at the Canyons Complex. Butler (52-3) will advance to face #4 seed NE Oklahoma A&M in another elimination game Friday afternoon at 2:30 p.m. (MDT). Meanwhile Walters State (40-9) sees its 2013 tournament run and season end with the loss.
Coming off a quarterfinal loss to Wallace State earlier in the day, Butler CC wasted little time getting back into the groove as the Grizzlies plated four runs in their first at-bats to take an early 4-0 lead. Leading 5-1 in the home half of the fifth, Butler infielder Kaitlyn Wolken put an exclamation point on the night with a walk-off grand slam to end the game.
Butler hurler Maggie Ham bounced back from a tough outing the game before by pitching four innings of shutout softball, scattering three hits while fanning five.
Walters State backstop Kaylea Payne picked up her team’s lone RBI with a sacrifice fly in the top of the fifth. Senators’ pitcher Kelsey Weddle was touched up for nine runs and eight hits in 4.2 innings to take the loss.