Butler Defeats Wright State, 5-4, In League Opener

April 4, 2003

Box Score

Senior righthander Aaron Phillips limited visiting Wright State to one run through seven innings and helped lead Butler to a 5-4 victory over the Raiders in the Horizon League opener for both teams at Bulldog Park on Friday, April 4. The victory in the first game of a four-game series lifted Butler to 14-13 on the season, while Wright State fell to 8-14.

Phillips, who climbed to 2-3 on the season, was nicked for a single, unearned run in the first inning, and then he blanked the Raiders for six consecutive innings, before being tagged for two runs in the eighth inning. Junior Randy Miles pitched the final inning for the Bulldogs and gave up one run, while earning his first career save.

Butler took a 3-1 lead in the third inning. Junior Jeff Albert walked, stole second and reached third on a single by Dale Mueller. Albert scored on an error, and Mueller later scored on a wild pitch. Tim Marks scored the Bulldogs' final run of the inning on a single by junior Ryan Nance.

Mueller, who had two hits in the game, drove in a single run in the fourth inning, and Marks plated Albert with what turned out to be the winning run with a double in the eighth inning.

Wright State rallied in the eighth inning when Adam Morton drove in two runs with a single, and the Raiders had the tying run on second base in the final inning when Miles struck out Trent Matthews to end the game.

Nance and centerfielder Matt Crews joined Mueller with a pair of hits for the Bulldogs, while Tuttle, Matthews and Pat Masters each had two hits for the Raiders.

Wright State starter Casey Abrams pitched seven innings and recorded 12 strikeouts for the Raiders, but he fell to 0-4 on the season.

The same two teams will square off in a doubleheader at Bulldog Park on Saturday, April 5, beginning at 12 noon.