The Red Ravens stepped up and played one of their best games of the season, featuring excellent pitching, clutch hitting, and sound defense in a 9-1 Game 1 win over Butler.

 

Cross Dowd was the story of the game, pitching seven innings and only allowing four hits and one run, with nine strikeouts. The sophomore right-hander struck out four of the final five batters he faced, and only allowed one hit after the second inning.

 

Both teams scored in the opening inning, before both starting pitchers settled in. The Red Ravens would plate three in the fifth, including a big two-run single by third baseman Cooper Jarnagin.

 

Butler would threaten in the seventh, putting two runners on with two outs, before Dowd would strike out the Grizzlies' top hitter Cooper Rasmussen to end the inning.

 

Zane Wilson entered the game out of the bullpen to get the final six outs for CCC, and lock down the 9-1 victory in Game 1.

 

The Ravens are one win away from advancing to Wichita for the double elimination portion of the tournament, and will look to close out the series tomorrow afternoon, with the game at 3 p.m. on US 98 and the Red Raven Sports Network. Projected starters are Jackson Waggoner for CCC and Whit Rhodes for Butler.