BlueSox settle for one run in loss to Barons
The Butler BlueSox hope to make some noise in the Rust Belt League this summer, but got off to a rather quiet start Friday night.
A quartet of 3B Barons pitchers held the Sox to just one run on six hits as Butler dropped a 5-1 decision in the season opener at Pullman Park.
“A lot of these guys had their college season end a month ago,” said Butler manager Mike McNabb. “They’ve been working out on their own, but it’s nothing like facing live pitching.”
The Barons started Ryan Gibbons on the mound. He allowed two hits, struck out two and walked two in his three innings. Relieving him was Mason Walker, who is coming off a 2.43-ERA season for Penn State-Shenango. He walked three, but held the Sox scoreless over three innings.
Butler finally broke through in the seventh with Madden Boehm on the mound, but only for a run when Tate Minich singled home Aftanas. The latter had walked to begin the frame and moved to second when Justin Brannigan singled.
Boehm worked a scoreless eighth and Luke McCoy did likewise in the ninth.
Barons’ pitchers combined to strike out seven and walk seven.
“We want our guys to limit the walks, would rather them allow a hit because that usually comes in less pitches,” said Barons manager Eric Francis. “All of the guys who threw for us tonight are big strikeout guys.”
Butler’s Alex Heavner pitched the first five innings, struck out seven and walked six. He shouldered the loss due to the two runs he allowed on one hit in the top of the fifth. He issued free passes to Carson Wible and Kaleb Gorichky in the inning and both came around to score on an infield single by Chase Tomko and a sacrifice fly off the bat of Nate Meeks.
Logan Exler and Brayden Hagerter both pitched two innings of relief for Butler. The Barons added three runs off of Hagerter in the eighth. Butler’s three pitchers combined to strike out 13 and walk 12.
“We have a number of power pitchers, guys who can pile up the strikeouts,” said McNabb, “but walks always kill you.”
3B Barons 000 020 030 — 5 5 0
BlueSox 000 000 100 — 1 6 2
W: Mason Walker 3 IP (1K, 3BB). L: Alex Heavner 5 IP (7K, 6BB).
3B Barons: Kaleb Gorichky 2-1B R RBI, Chase Tomko 1B RBI, Braden Zeigler 1B RBI
BlueSox: Tate Minich 2-1B RBI
Sunday: BlueSox at Altoona (DH)
