Extra Special
Walker Cunningham and Mother Nature both tried to keep the Butler Iron Bucks from winning a championship Wednesday night.
Neither one succeeded.
After Meadville’s ace pitched nine scoreless innings, which included a 45-minute delay due to lightning and rain, the Bucks finally got to him in the top of the tenth with a pair of runs that held up in a 2-0 win in Game 2 of the Rust Belt/Tri-State Collegiate baseball championship series at Pullman Park.
Butler won the best-of-3 series two games to none.
“We asked these guys to do two things: play the game the right way and compete. They competed all year,” said Bucks manager Len Piccini.
Per the extra-inning rule, the Bucks began the tenth frame with a runner on second base in Ian Balquist. Cunningham’s first pitch of the inning was wild, advancing Balquist to third base and Alex Colwell then delivered a single to score the game’s first run.
“He (Cunningham) was throwing a good mix of four pitches at us and we didn’t know what was coming,” Colwell said. “The count was 2-2 and he threw me a slider. Seeing it get through for a hit, it felt amazing, just surreal.”
It was Butler’s sixth hit of the game. Following a sacrifice bunt that moved Colwell to second base, Brian Woods singled and Cunningham was pulled from the mound in favor of Garrett Knapp, who got out of the inning but not before allowing an RBI-groundout to Chase Morrison.
The title was left in the hands of Bucks reliever Sam Basso and he finished what Pat Synan had started hours before. The former struck out the side, including Cole Grable for the final out with runners at first and third.
Basso earned the win after working four shut-out innings. Synan pitched the first six innings, allowing just one of the Mustangs’ four hits.
“Pat pitched this way all season and I have 100 percent confidence in him,” Piccini said. “His pitch count was up to 92, but I had to fight to take him out.”
“I’ve been on a roll,” said Synan, who struck out five, walked two and retired 16 of the final 17 batters he faced. “I was spotting my fastball well today and the defense played really well behind me.”
Basso stood tall in the face of pressure. In the bottom of the eighth, he allowed a leadoff single to Zack Streightif and the count was 2-2 on the next batter, Brady Lane, when the game was suspended due to lightning. When play resumed, Lane was hit by a pitch before a one-out walk to Carson Wible loaded the bases.
Zach Wilson’s fielder’s choice resulted in a force out at home and Basso fanned Ryan Dougherty to end the threat.
Streightif and Woods were the only players with multi hits in the game, both singling twice.
Meadville finishes with a record of 13-16.
After a 14-12 record in the regular season, the Bucks (18-12) defeated Cumming Motors from Altoona in the quarterfinals and Creekside, which had the best record during the season at 18-8, in the semifinals.
“This was my first year on the team and to win it all, it feels great,” said Colwell.
Iron Bucks 000 000 000 2 — 2 8 0
Meadville 000 000 000 0 — 0 4 3
W: Sam Basso 4 IP (6K, 2BB). L: Walker Cunningham 9.1 IP (6K, 1BB).
Iron Bucks (18-12): Brady Gavula 2B, Mattix Clement 1B, Brent Creehan 2B, Alex Colwell 1B R RBI, Dustin Strom 1B, Brian Woods 2-1B, Ray Stierer 1B, Chase Morrison RBI
Meadville (13-16): Ryan Dougherty 1B, Kenny Lavrich 1B, Zack Streightif 2-1B
