Butler Bounces Back With Walk-Off Win

VANDALIA — The skies cleared. The lights came on. And Butler’s seniors stepped forward — not just to be honored, but to get back to work.

Pushed back by passing rain and framed by the celebration of Senior Night, Monday’s matchup with Stebbins didn’t start on schedule — but it started with purpose. Butler went back to doing what it does best — making the other team chase.

Mason Reckner singled home the first run of the game. Paxton Dwenger followed with a two-run shot through the right side. Russell Stratman added a sac fly, and just like that, it was 4–0 before Stebbins could settle in.

The rest was muscle memory.

Will Kitchen (3-0) set the tone on the mound, striking out six across four innings of one-hit work. Eli Davis and Owen Strawser followed with clean frames and of their own, each striking out two, to finish the shutout win.

Reckner led the way at the plate, going 3-for-3 with a walk and two RBIs. Dues was a sparkplug again, reaching base three times and scoring three runs.

And in the sixth, Hunter Richardson put an emphatic cap on the night — launching a two-run, walk-off shot to left, lifting the Aviators to a 10-0 win.

The Aviators (21-1, 16-0) finished with 11 hits, nine walks, five stolen bases, and zero errors. It was all the things they pride themselves on — sharp, steady, and unselfish baseball — the kind of performance that’s become their calling card this spring. Butler travels to

Stebbins on Tuesday for the back half of the series, with eyes still fixed forward.