 |
Butler Rallies For 9-6 Extra-Innings Victory At Youngstown State For Series Win
April 28, 2007
Game 1 Box Score | Game 2 Box Score
Youngstown, Ohio - Butler rallied for three runs in the top of the 11th to break a 6-6 deadlock in claiming the rubber match of a three-game set with Youngstown State by a score of 9-6 on Saturday (April 28) afternoon at Eastwood Field. A late-inning rally by the Bulldogs in the first game of the day fell short, however, as the Penguins held off Butler 6-4. A lead-ff triple by Joe Pauley in top of the 11th inning put the go-ahead run 90 feet away before Dustin Bucalo followed with a three-bagger of his own to plate Pauley. Bucalo came home on a wild pitch before Joe Dempsey added another with an RBI single up the middle to plate Ricky Chomicz from second. Butler jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first after Pauley hit a one-out single before Bucalo roped his first home run of the year over the right field fence. After the Penguins earned one run back in the third on an RBI double, the Bulldogs extended their lead to 4-1 on back-to-back RBI hits by Pauley and Bucalo in the fourth before adding an unearned run in the fifth. Two runs in the fifth and the sixth by Youngstown State drew the Penguins even at 5-5, but the Bulldogs regained the lead in the seventh on an RBI single by Jason Jamerson. Youngstown State scrapped back in the ninth to force extra innings, getting back-to-back two-out singles before plating the tying run on a fielding error. Evan DePotter would get the final out of the ninth and allow just one hit in the 10th and 11th to earn his first win of the year.
Barnes led the team with a 4-for-5 performance at the plate and two runs scored. Bucalo finished with three hits, two runs scored and four RBI, while Pauley added three hits, three runs and an RBI. A three-run eighth inning by Butler in the opening game of the day would bring the Bulldogs to within one, but the rally would fall short as Youngstown State held on for a 6-4 decision. Back-to-back singles and a walk to lead off the eighth loaded the bases for Dempsey, who hit into a fielder's choice to plate Rick Betsch from third. A ground-out by Colin Ziegel plated Pauley for the second run of the frame before a Jamerson single scored Nate Hart from second. The rally would end there, however, as Andy Svitak worked an inning-ending ground-out. A four-run fourth inning by YSU would prove to be the difference maker, as the Penguins use four hits and a couple of Butler errors to break a 1-1 tie. Betsch and Jamerson finished the game with two hits each, with Jamerson driving in two of the Bulldogs' four runs. Joe Ochs was strong on the hill, allowing just one run on five hits in 4.1 innings. The Bulldogs return to action on Tuesday (May 1) when they head to Valparaiso for a double-header beginning at 1:00 p.m. CT. |
