WESTFIELD, Ind. – Butler improved to 6-0 over the weekend with two quality wins over Western Illinois. The Bulldogs won game one 9-4 and the nightcap 6-1.
Nick Ortega hit a grand slam to highlight the first game and game two would feature just two BU arms that combined for 13 strikeouts.
Game one got interesting in the second inning with Western Illinois scoring two in the top half of the frame. That lead would not last long with Ortega belting the first home run of the 2020 season for Butler. Ortega cleared the bases allowing McGrath, McElwain and All to score.
James Gargano added to the lead in the fourth with an RBI double to score Ortega. The 5-2 lead quickly dropped to 5-4 in the sixth inning as Dorethy homered to left for the Leathernecks. Down the stretch, Butler would add two runs in the seventh and two more in the eighth to pull out the win.
Ortega would score on a wild pitch in the seventh and
Duncan Hewitt would single to score
Zach Jarosz. In the eighth, Ortega would double down the line to score McGrath.
Jacob Margroff also singled to send Ortega around to score. Ortega ended game one going 2-for-3 from the plate with five RBI and four runs scored.
Butler was sound on the mound with 12 strikeouts.
Jack Myers improved to 2-0 on the bump with seven K's in five full innings of work.
Nick Eaton tossed the sixth and
Greg Gilbert would control both the seventh and the eighth. The final BU arm to touch the mound was
Ryan Schmit.
Game two was split between
Joe Graziano and
Jon Vore. Graziano earned his first win of the year by throwing five innings. He only allowed one run and struck out six. Vore was great in relief. He struck out seven batters, over the final four innings.
Butler led 5-0 after the first with Margroff and
Jonah Wichman each collecting two RBI. BU would add another run in the third with Gargano drawing a bases loaded walk. Western Illinois broke up the shutout in the fifth, but BU would cruise to the finish line 6-1.
Butler will return to action on Wednesday, Feb. 26 with a game at Indiana. The first true road game of the season will start at 3 PM.
