Box Score Niles, Ohio -- Butler scored four runs before
recording an out in the first inning and stayed hot offensively all
afternoon to defeat the Youngstown State baseball team 18-5 in the
series finale on Sunday at Eastwood Field.
After the Penguins held the Bulldogs to one earned run on five
hits Saturday, Butler's offense erupted for 18 earned runs on 18
hits.
Bulldogs designated hitter Pat Gelwicks posted five hits, three
runs and three RBIs, and Bob Akin also drove in three. Jason
Shirley had three hits and scored twice, and Drew Dosch added two
hits for the Penguins.
The first six Bulldog hitters reached base on three singles, two
walks and a hit batsman, and that ended the day for YSU starter Pat
Shedlock. All five runs in the first were charged to him.
The Penguins got the first two runners on in the bottom of the
first, but a strikeout and caught stealing resulted in a double
play. Marcus Heath singled in Shirley to make the score 5-1, but
the Guins couldn't put together a big inning to keep pace.
YSU had the leadoff runner on in the second and sacrificed him to
second and failed to score.
Butler hit three doubles and had a sacrifice fly in the third to
go ahead 7-1, and Dosch drove in David Leon for an unearned run in
the bottom half of the inning.
The Bulldogs added a run in the fourth to go up 8-2, and they
scored six times in the sixth. Craig Goubeaux brought in Shirley on
a sacrifice fly, and Dosch scored on an error in the eighth to make
the score 14-4. Butler added four more runs to its total in the
ninth, and Dosch singled in Jack Graham in the bottom half for the
final tally.
Butler starter Mike Hernandez allowed one earned run on six hits
in six innings to earn the win for Butler.
Youngstown State will play four road games next week, starting
with a game at Pittsburgh on Wednesday at 2 p.m.