Butler baseball claims opener
Butler baseball coach Todd Erdos was looking for efforts to build on when his
team took the field in Monday’s season opener against Mount Lebanon.
He came away with several to pick from.
Second baseman Luke Baranchak totaled three hits, including a
triple, scoring two runs and driving in two while Wyatt Daugherty and Zach
Henderson limited the Blue Devils to just three runs on six hits as the Golden
Tornado scored a decisive 9-3 victory at Kelly Automotive Park.
Butler was scheduled to open the season with a home game against
Woodland Hills last Friday, but it was postponed due to inclement weather.
“It’s always exciting to get outside and play this time of the
season in Western Pennsylvania,” Baranchak said. “We wanted to take advantage
of it.”
Baranchak helped the Tornado do just that. His two-run single
plated Reid Werth and Garett Goslaw in the bottom of the third inning, giving
Butler a 4-1 edge.
That would be all the offense the team would need. Daugherty
worked the first four innings, allowing two runs on three hits to earn the win.
Henderson surrendered just one run over the final three frames for the save.
Both pitchers were aided by a defense that did not commit an
error.
“We recently scrimmaged Penn-Trafford and our defense played well
there, too,” Erdos said. “We didn’t give up any extra outs today and that was a
good sign. Hopefully, we can continue to work that way.”
The Blue Devils (2-1) broke the ice with a run in the top of the
first. Vince D’Orazio drilled Daugherty’s first pitch of the game for a double
off the right-field fence, stole third and scored on Dante Dalesandro’s
groundout.
But Butler responded with Baranchak’s one-out triple in the
second that preceded Dallas Hays’ sacrifice fly for Butler’s first run.
Mark Gross drew a bases-loaded walk in the third that scored
Nathan Kibbie. Moments later, Baranchak’s single made it a three-run game.
“I thought our starting pitcher, Joey Lowen, gave us a very
competitive effort,” said Blue Devils coach Pat McCloskey, “but Butler is very
good. One through nine, they have guys who can swing the bat.”
Lowen worked 4 1/3 innings, striking out five and walking four.
He was pulled with two on and one out in the fifth inning before Butler added
five more runs in the frame. That outburst included a three-run triple from
Hays off of Mt. Lebanon reliever John Sieber that scored Ian Steighner, Goslaw
and Baranchak.
Hays ended the game with four RBI.
“Our bats started to put some hard balls into play,” Erdos said.
“The guys did a nice job of hitting with two outs today.”
Butler claimed a share of the Section 1-AAAA title last year,
tying North Allegheny with a record of 8-2.
The Tornado hope that Monday’s result is a forecast of things to
come.
“We’d like to make another run,” Baranchak said. “We set the bar
high and hopefully, we can live up to expectations.”
Mt. Lebanon 100 101 0 — 3 6 1
Butler 013 050 x — 9 9 0
W: Wyatt Daugherty 4 IP (2K, 2BB). L: Joey Lowen 4.1 IP (5K,
4BB).
Mt. Lebanon (2-1): Vince D’Orazio 1B 2B R 2SB, Dante Dalesandro
1B R RBI, Rob Klinchock 1B, Joey Stabile 1B R 2SB, Robbie Constantino RBI, Joey
Lowen 1B
Butler (1-0): Reid Werth 2-1B R RBI, Ian Steighner R, Garett
Goslaw 1B 2R, Mark Gross RBI, Luke Baranchak 2-1B 3B 2R 2RBI, Dallas Hays 3B R
4RBI, Lake Sankey R, Nathan Kibbie 1B R, Zach Henderson 1B