Box Score
MUNCIE, Ind. – The Butler baseball team posted a 7-3 win at Ball State today to improve their overall record to 17-7. A base-clearing three RBI triple from
Gehrig Parker helped BU score five runs in the top of the third inning. The final two Bulldogs runs came in the fifth thanks to a
Michael Hartnagel triple and a sacrifice fly by Parker.
Parker went 1-for-3 on the day with four RBI and a run scored. Hartnagel and
Tyler Houston each scored two runs for BU while picking up one hit. The top of the order also featured
Garrett Christman going 2-for-4 against the Cardinals with an RBI and a run scored.
The ball got rolling for Butler in the top of the third with Houston picking up a hit with a man on and one out. Malloy moved into scoring position after the base knock and Christman would send him around to score with his single to left field.
With Houston on third and Christman on first, Hartnagel would dig into the box and draw a walk to load the bases after a 3-2 count. Parker would make BSU pay as he sent a ball into left center that got past a diving Ball State centerfielder. All base runners scored on the play to increase the lead and Parker would stand on third with his second triple of the season.
Jordan Lucio would round out the scoring in the top of three with a chopper up the middle of the field. He would ground out to short, but the ball would be in a good enough spot for Parker to score the fifth run of the inning.
Ball State got two runs back in the bottom of the third after a BU pitching change. Those runs were scored even though Ball State didn't record a single hit. Further damage would be avoided with a big strikeout as BSU left three on base.
The top of the BU order would strike again in the fifth with Houston scoring off Hartnagel's triple. Parker would follow in the order to hit a deep fly ball to left for the sac fly.
The final run of the game would belong to Ball State as the Cardinals scored one off two hits in the bottom of the eighth. Ball State would put two on with just one out in the ninth, but a game-ending 6-4-3 ground double play would shut the book on any type of comeback.
Butler used six arms in the contest with
Quentin Miller getting the start and
Danny Pobereyko getting the win.
Kevin Napoleon tossed a full inning after Poberyko and
River Pitlock would take the mound late in the game for one out.
The final 1.2 innings of work would go to closer
Chris Myjak. He kept BSU off the scoreboard while limiting the Cards to just two hits.
Butler will return to action this weekend with a three-game series in Chicago. The team will face Eastern Michigan twice and play the host Chicago State Cougars once.
