BlueSox offense shines bright in home-opening win
The Butler BlueSox started the home portion of their season with a bang — even before the post-game fireworks celebrating 15 years of the team’s existence.
During an 11-6 win over the East Butler Bulldogs in the team’s home opener at Michelle Krill Field at Historic Pullman Park Saturday night, every hitter in the BlueSox lineup reached base at least once. Sean Connolly, Quinn Burke, Joey Woodrow, and Zach Johnston all had multi-hit performances.
“We’re hitting and we’re swinging it good,” BlueSox coach Dan Helgert said. “The squad is nice this year. We’re playing together and everybody’s swinging the bat really well.”
Over the BlueSox’s first two matchups — they beat the New Castle 3B Barons, 10-2, Friday — they’ve totaled 27 hits.
“They’re a veteran team, the BlueSox,” Bulldogs coach Greg Folk said. “They’re an older team, so it’s time for them to reap the benefits of that. That’s how it should be. They stuck together.”
Meanwhile, the Bulldogs (1-1) are feeling out what will work on the mound. East Butler gave up nine runs to Meadville in its season-opener Friday.
Starter Josh Ickes gave six free passes over 1.1 innings, which allowed the BlueSox (2-0_ to build a comfortable lead early on.
The BlueSox worked consecutive walks in the bottom first, then Woodrow slapped a one-out, two-RBI single up the middle. Ben Aftanas, Seth Helgert, and Justin Branigan loaded the bases on walks in the next frame, then Johnston, Connolly, and Andrew Bokulick all had run-scoring base knocks to make it a 7-3 ballgame before Ickes was yanked.
Burke added two to his team’s advantage with a one-out double that bounced up against the center field wall in the fourth. Dustin Horn had an inconsequential lead-off single in the inning after that.
“They did a good job of hitting them where we weren’t today,” Folk said. “That’s just how the ground balls sneak through a little bit. The guys, they stuck right in there.”
Former Slippery Rock High School pitcher Shane Thompson threw 3.2 innings in relief for Ickes, striking out three. Jack Baumgartel pitched the last three frames for the Bulldogs, conceding only a pair of hits. Recent Butler graduate Conner McTighe threw out three base-runners from behind the plate
In front of the home crowd, the BlueSox tacked on two insurance runs in the eighth on a single by No. 1 hitter Connolly.
“It’s always great to come home,” Coach Helgert said. “It’s always good to play here. The boys love it. The fans get a little crazy, which is cool.”
The Bulldogs got on the board in the sixth, eighth, and ninth innings. Marco Vesce, Nico Melograne, and Tommaso Floro all pushed across runs in the defeat.
Coach Helgert hopes Saturday night’s competition is just the beginning of a hotly-contested series of matchups.
“Between East Butler and the Iron Bucks, definitely a rivalry,” Helgert said. “A little chippiness, which is good. It’s part of the game.”
East Butler 120 001 011 — 6 9 1
Butler 250 200 02x — 11 11 1
W: Conor McSparran 5IP (2K, 8BB). L: Josh Ickes 1.1IP (0K, 6BB).
East Butler (1-1): Marco Vesce 1B 3B RBI R, Brendan Koroly 1B, Payton Folk 3B 2R, Nico Melograne RBI R, Parker Brown 1B, Tommaso Floro 3B 1B 2RBI R, AJ Kuzior 1B, J.T. Gerle 3B R
Butler (2-0): Sean Connolly 2-1B 3RBI 2R, Andrew Bokulick 3B 2RBI R, Quinn Burke 2B 1B 2RBI R, Joey Woodrow 2-1B 2RBI, Dustin Horn 1B, Ben Aftanas 1B R, Seth Helgert 2R, Justin Branigan 2R, Zach Johnston 2-1B 2RBI 2R
Tuesday: Meadville Mustangs at Butler BlueSox; New Castle 3B Barons at East Butler Bulldogs
