Chase Butler pitches no-hitter for Wildcats against Ripley

Pitching was the name of the game on Tuesday night for the Whiteoak Wildcats with Chase Butler tossing a no-hitter in a 12-0 win over the visiting Ripley Blue Jays.

The Southern Hills Athletic Conference win by the Wildcats was dominated on the mound by Butler, who struck out four of the first six batters he faced, including the lone three batters he faced in the first inning.

A fly ball ground out and strikeout ended the second inning, and then in the third Butler struck out the lead-off batter, followed by the next two batters being retired with a ground out to third base and another strikeout.

No runners reached base in the fourth as the first two batters in the inning were retired off ground outs to second base and shortstop, while the inning ended with a pop up to first base.

The first base runner took first base on a lead-off walk in the fifth inning, followed by the next batter reaching first due to interference. Even with runners eventually reaching second and third base, the no-hitter was still intact for Butler and the Wildcats. He responded with a strikeout, a runner out on the bases after reaching via error and the inning ended on a called third strike.

For the game, Butler finished with no hits or runs allowed, and he totaled eight strikeouts and one walk.

[[In-content Ad]]


“Anytime a kid throws a no hitter, it's an awesome accomplishment,” WHS head coach Chris Veidt said. “Chase has had such a fantastic year for us all the way around. He gets better with each pitching start. He was off the charts tonight with his strike and A3P percentages. He has also been a vital cog in our offense.”

Then there was the offense for the Wildcats, who totaled 11 team hits in four innings at the plate.

WHS scored five runs in the first inning with Traeten Hamilton (3-for-3, two runs), Butler (2-for-3, two RBIs, two runs), Trever Yeager (1-for-3, two runs, a double), Brandon Lowe and Evan Brill (2-for-3, two runs, two RBIs, one double) all rounding the bases.

WHS totaled five hits in the inning, with Brill having one RBI and Casey Nace (1-for-3, two RBIs) hitting a two-RBI single. The inning also saw Hamilton hit what was the first of his three doubles in the game.

In the second inning, the 'Cats scored two runs with Yeager and Brill rounding the bases with RBIs from Brill and Brayden Yeager (2-for-2, one run, one RBI) in the inning.

WHS added two runs in the third with Hamilton and Butler scoring runs, while in the inning Butler batted in Hamilton. Butler scored on a passed ball.

In the fourth, the Wildcats had Brayden Yeager, Chad Jones and Ryan Roberts all score runs. RBIs in the inning went to Hamilton with two and Butler with one as Hamilton hit a two-RBI double to score Yeager and Jones. Butler hit an RBI single to plate Roberts.