Golden Tornado tally 14 hits in 10-0 shutout of Allderdice
Lance Slater got it started — and everyone else joined in.
Butler’s lead-off batter collected three hits and scored three runs and every hitter in the lineup tallied at least one hit or RBI in Tuesday’s 10-0 baseball win over Taylor Allderdice on Tuesday at Michelle Krill Field at Historic Pullman Park.
While Butler unleashed a 14-hit attack, Madden Clement took a no-hitter into the sixth inning. The no-hit bid was spoiled by Bryan McCann’s two-out double to right-center, but he was stranded at third.
Clement wound up with a two-hit shutout, striking out seven.
“Madden wasn’t at his best today,” Butler coach Josh Forbes said. “He didn’t get his curve ball going until the sixth inning or so. He didn’t have his best stuff, but he was getting people out.”
And the Tornado (8-5, 5-3) were getting people on base.
The first three batters in Butler’s lineup — Slater, Clement and Conner McTighe — combined for seven hits, six runs scored and five RBI. The Tornado scored in every inning but the fifth.
“We did what the top of the lineup is supposed to do, get things going,” McTighe said. “It’s up to us to set the tone, create some early energy and everyone else follows along.”
Slater has six hits in two games this week against the Dragons (1-11), who have dropped 11 straight games. Butler plays at Taylor Allderdice on Wednesday to compete the three-game series.
“All I;m trying to do is find my swing, barrel the ball up and get on base,” Slater said. “That’s my role as the lead-off hitter. Just get the ball rolling.”
Slater opened the game with a single to left that got past the left fielder for a two-base error. He scored on Clement’s ground ball, the infielder throwing wildly to first. A wild pitch plated another Butker run in the first.
No. 9 hitter James Desmond walked with two outs in the second. Slater singled to right and Clement delivered an RBI single up the middle. McTighe followed with a two-run double and the Butler lead was quickly 5-0.
“We scored some runs with two outs today and you love to see that,” Forbes said. “We had solid team hitting today, top to bottom. When the top of the lineup is driving in runs like they did today, that means the bottom of the lineup was getting on base in front of them.”
Clement had three RBI on the day. On the mound, he threw exactly 100 pitches in six innings. Noah Collins had a single, two doubles, knocking in the run that ended the contest via the 10-run rule in the sixth.
Liam McElroy tripled down the right field line with two outs in the sixth. Collins lofted a fly ball to deep right that sailed over the right fielder’s outstretched glove as McElroy trotted home.
“We have a young team and this section is a tough gig,” Dragons coach Brad Hoffer said. “We start one senior, one junior, all the rest freshmen and sophomores. But we have been playing better the last couple of weeks.
“It didn’t show today. We can play much better than this. We figured we’ be getting (Clement) today. He’s good, but every team in this section has good pitching. We should have done more against him.”
Taylor Allderdice 000 000 — 0 2 1
Butler 232 201 — 10 14 1
WP: Madden Clement 6IP (7so, 3bb). LP: Zack Shook (3.1IP (2so, 2bb).
Taylor Allderdice (1-11, 0-11): Bryan McCann 2B, Landon Blank 1B.
Butler (8-5, 5-3): Lance Slater 3B 2-1B 3-R, Madden Clement 1B 3-RBI 2-R, Conner McTighe 2B 2-1B 2-RBI, Liam McElroy 3B, Noah Collins 2-2B 1B RBI, Mac Schnur 1B RBI, Andrew Lucas 1B, Mavrik Clement RBI, James Desmond 1B.
Wednesday: Butler at Taylor Allderdice
