WILMINGTON, N.C. – Butler scored 15 runs on Saturday night off 17 hits to post a 15-6 win over Lehigh. The victory moves Butler to 3-0 on the year.
Tyler Houston was the MVP of the game by going 4-for-5 from the plate with three RBI and three runs scored.
Gehrig Parker and freshman
James Gargano also played large roles in the outcome. Each student-athlete went 2-for-5 from the plate with two RBI. Gargano scored two of Butler's 15 runs. Parker scored one while adding a double to his season total.
Butler faced an early 2-0 deficit, but back-to-back six-run innings in the fifth and sixth would decide the outcome.
BU tied the game in the bottom of the second inning off a two RBI triple to right field from
Harrison Freed. Lehigh jumped back in front in the third with an RBI single to center, but the advantage would not last.
BU scored six runs off five hits in the fifth and would be in complete control after six full innings with six more runs off five more hits. The fifth featured a two RBI triple from Houston, an RBI single from both Parker and Gargano, and a sac fly from
Garrett Christman.
The sixth included
Duncan Hewitt leading off with a double,
Zach Jarosz following in the order with a single and Houston finding room in left for an RBI single.
Michael Hartnagel would double down the left field line in the sixth and Hewitt would eventually return for another at-bat which resulted in a RBI single to center.
The final BU run would cross home plate in the seventh.
Tyler Houston led off with a single to third base and he would come all the way around to score off a double from Parker. Lehigh would add a solo run in the eighth, but the Butler pitching staff would do a nice job of finishing off the game.
Ryan Pepiot would toss the first five innings of action for BU. He struck out eight in his debut and only walked two.
Jack Myers would tally two outs in the sixth with the final out going to
Quentin Miller. Head Coach
Dave Schrage went to
Connor Schultz for the final three innings of action. Schultz earned his first save of his career with three effective innings down the stretch. He was in the box score with five strikeouts. Schultz only surrendered one run off two hits.
Butler will return to action tomorrow moring with a 10 AM first pitch against Eastern Kentucky.
