
ST. GEORGE – Friday was moving day for the NJCAA national tournament at the Canyons Complex in St. George, and no one in junior college softball moves quite like defending champion Butler (Kan.).
The No. 1 ranked Grizzlies won handily against quality competition Friday, beating fifth-ranked Central Arizona 9-0 and then handling No. 2 Salt Lake 9-3. The two wins put Butler in the Saturday noon championship game.
Salt Lake beat Lake Land (Ill.) 6-1 early in the day before the loss to Butler. The Bruins will battle Florida Southwestern State at 10 a.m. Saturday for the right to play in the championship. The winner of that game will have to beat the Grizzlies twice to become national champs.
Florida SW made its way through the one-loss bracket to earn that shot. FSWSC won three games Friday, 9-1 over San Jacinto-South (Texas), 6-1 over Central Arizona and 4-0 over Lake Land. Florida SW is 65-6 and ranked No. 3.
The Butler Grizzlies are 57-1 and are first in the nation in scoring and home runs. They hit six dingers on Friday in two victories.

Butler (KS) vs. Central Arizona, NJCAA National Championships, Softball, St. George, UT, May 19, 2017, | Photo by Robert Hoppie, ASPpix.com, St. George News

Salt Lake vs. Lake Land (IL), NJCAA National Championships, Softball, St. George, UT, May 19, 2017, | Photo by Robert Hoppie, ASPpix.com, St. George News

Salt Lake vs. Lake Land (IL), NJCAA National Championships, Softball, St. George, UT, May 19, 2017, | Photo by Robert Hoppie, ASPpix.com, St. George News

Butler (KS) vs. Central Arizona, NJCAA National Championships, Softball, St. George, UT, May 19, 2017, | Photo by Robert Hoppie, ASPpix.com, St. George News

Butler (KS) vs. Central Arizona, NJCAA National Championships, Softball, St. George, UT, May 19, 2017, | Photo by Robert Hoppie, ASPpix.com, St. George News

Butler (KS) vs. Central Arizona, NJCAA National Championships, Softball, St. George, UT, May 19, 2017, | Photo by Robert Hoppie, ASPpix.com, St. George News

Salt Lake vs. Lake Land (IL), NJCAA National Championships, Softball, St. George, UT, May 19, 2017, | Photo by Robert Hoppie, ASPpix.com, St. George News

San Jacinto vs. Florida Southwestern, Softball, St. George, UT, May 19, 2017, | Photo by Robert Hoppie, ASPpix.com, St. George News

Salt Lake vs. Lake Land (IL), NJCAA National Championships, Softball, St. George, UT, May 19, 2017, | Photo by Robert Hoppie, ASPpix.com, St. George News

Salt Lake vs. Lake Land (IL), NJCAA National Championships, Softball, St. George, UT, May 19, 2017, | Photo by Robert Hoppie, ASPpix.com, St. George News

San Jacinto vs. Florida Southwestern, Softball, St. George, UT, May 19, 2017, | Photo by Robert Hoppie, ASPpix.com, St. George News

San Jacinto's Riley Bullen (6), San Jacinto vs. Florida Southwestern, Softball, St. George, UT, May 19, 2017, | Photo by Robert Hoppie, ASPpix.com, St. George News

Butler (KS) vs. Central Arizona, NJCAA National Championships, Softball, St. George, UT, May 19, 2017, | Photo by Robert Hoppie, ASPpix.com, St. George News
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