The Butler Bulldogs held off a late charge by the Red Storm to earn a 10-8 victory on Thursday afternoon. Seven of Butler's 10 runs were scored in the first three innings and a monster home run from Jack Moroknek in the seventh would help seal the deal.
 
Moroknek's 16th home run of the year was hit 483 feet according to the ballpark's Trackman system. It was one of four home runs on the day with each team recording two. Jared Beebe put STJ in front in the first with a solo homer, but Tommy Townsend would clear the batter's eye to give BU a 3-1 lead.
 
Ryan Drumm delivered a two-RBI single in the second to make the game 5-1 and two more Butler runs in the third moved the scoreboard to 7-2.
 
The Red Storm scored two in the fourth and added one in the seventh off a solo home run from Shaun McMillan. Moroknek's bomb came in the seventh while Barbero added another off a sac fly. BU led 10-5 after eight and limited the Johnnies to three in the ninth to collect their 15th win of the year and the fourth against a conference foe.
 
Tommy Townsend ended the game by going 3-for-5 from the plate with the homer, a double, two RBI's and two runs scored. Drumm was 2-for-3 with two RBIs and David Ayers was 2-for-4 with a double.
 
The win went to Alex Kanipe while the save was credited to Ben Whiteside. Jack Griffiths got the start and went 3.2 innings for BU. He struck out three and Brett Sherrard would come in to close the inning. The next three frames belonged to Kanipe. He also struck out three while limiting STJ to just one run.
 
Tate Foxson had two strikeouts, including one to start the ninth inning. He was replaced by Whiteside with the bases loaded and the senior would get his team to the finish line with a 10-8 win.
 
Game two of the series will be played tomorrow at 1 p.m.