Butler batters Page to advance in 4A state baseball playoffs
One Cinderella run ended and one kept going Tuesday night in the N.C. 4A state high school baseball playoffs. The Greensboro Page Pirates saw their season end at Butler as the Bulldogs broke open a close game in the fourth inning and romped 11-1.
The game ended when starting pitcher Tate Pennington drove a base-loaded single just inside the third-base line to score two runs to give Butler a sixth-inning mercy-rule win.
Pennington went the distance scattering six hits and greatly helped his cause at the plate, going 3-for-3 with three RBI. What was Pennington more happy with, his performance on the mound or at the plate?
“Definitely on the mound,” he said. “I’ve been a little off with my changeup; I’ve left it a little high. Today I had a little more of my stuff working. My teammates got me up early so I could pitch with the lead, so that really helped me out.”
Rightfielder Dean Looney was also a perfect 3-for-3 with a solo home run and two RBI for the Bulldogs, with his solo shot giving Butler a 1-0 lead in the second inning.
“He’s a pure hitter,” Butler manager Rick Sambrotto said when describing Looney. “We’ve got an advantage when we play someone that hasn’t seen him that often, because they’re not too sure about him. If you throw him a mistake he’s going to hit it and that’s what he did.”
The Pirates (15-10) tied it in the top of the fourth at 1-1 before the Bulldogs (19-6-1) blew the game open with five runs in their half of the fourth while sending 10 men to the plate. Page also aided the Bulldogs’ big inning by walking two and throwing two wild pitches.
Quote
“We’ve got some seniors who are leaders. They are football players that are used to being in big games too because they’ve won some state championships. We’re playing loose and with a lot of energy.” – Sambrotto when asked to describe the reason for Butler’s end-of-season and playoff success.
Worth mentioning
Butler has knocked off Charlotte Catholic 6-5, Myers Park 7-3 and Page 11-1 to get to the fourth round of the state playoffs. Dating back to the end of the regular season, the Bulldogs have won seven of their last eight games. Page, meanwhile, knocked off Hopewell and Ardrey Kell before being bounced Tuesday by Butler.
What’s next
The season is over for Page, while Butler will advance to the fourth round of the state playoffs and play Friday at East Forsyth.
This story was originally published May 19, 2015 at 11:12 PM with the headline "Butler batters Page to advance in 4A state baseball playoffs."