April 27, 2007

Dages Outduels Engle in Butler's 2-1 Victory

    Niles, Ohio -- Butler starter Jon Dages threw eight shutout innings and the Bulldogs played small ball to defeat Youngstown State 2-1 on Friday evening at Eastwood Field.
    Dages, who allowed seven runs on 12 hits against the Penguins on March 25, surrendered just six hits and walked one before handing the ball over in the ninth. Dages' effort spoiled a solid outing for YSU starter Lucas Engle, who allowed two runs on six hits and a walk in eight innings.
    Both of Butler's runs came after successful sacrifices, and YSU scored its only run on Brent Parks' home run in the ninth.
    After Engle got inning-ending double plays in the first and second frames, the Bulldogs broke through for a run in the third to take a 1-0 lead. Jason Jamerson hit the first pitch of the inning to right center for a single and advanced on Joel Matheny's sacrifice bunt. Rick Betsch then hit a 2-0 pitch into right center to plate Jamerson for the game's first run.
    The Bulldogs added an insurance run in the eighth when Betsch brought in Jamerson on a sacrifice fly to right to make the score 2-0. Jamerson singled to start the inning and advanced to third on a wild pitch and sacrifice bunt.
    The Penguins had a chance to tie the contest in the fifth with runners at the corners and one out. Rayce Robinson led off the inning with an infield single and advanced two batters later on Sean Lucas' single. Dages then got John Koehnlein to ground into a double play for the first time all season on a hard hit grounder right at Jamerson at second to work out of the jam.
    Tom Clayton singled to start the seventh and advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt and a passed ball, but Dages escaped again when Mike Turjanica hit a hard liner to Dustin Bucalo in center.
    Parks gave the Penguins a chance in the ninth by greeting closer Brian Deter with a home run to right on the first pitch of the inning. Deter recovered to retire the next three batters in order to collect his second save.
    The Penguins and Bulldogs will play a doubleheader Saturday starting at 1 p.m.