Butler scored four runs before recording an out in the first inning and stayed hot offensively all afternoon to defeat the Youngstown State baseball team 18-5 in the series finale on Sunday at Eastwood Field.  After the Penguins held the Bulldogs to one earned run on five hits Saturday, Butler’s offense erupted for 18 earned runs on 18 hits.

Bulldogs designated hitter Pat Gelwicks posted five hits, three runs and three RBIs, and Bob Akin also drove in three. Jason Shirley had three hits and scored twice, and Drew Dosch added two hits for the Penguins.

The first six Bulldog hitters reached base on three singles, two walks and a hit batsman, and that ended the day for YSU starter Pat Shedlock. All five runs in the first were charged to him.

The Penguins got the first two runners on in the bottom of the first, but a strikeout and caught stealing resulted in a double play. Marcus Heath singled in Shirley to make the score 5-1, but the Guins couldn’t put together a big inning to keep pace. YSU had the leadoff runner on in the second and sacrificed him to second and failed to score.

Butler hit three doubles and had a sacrifice fly in the third to go ahead 7-1, and Dosch drove in David Leon for an unearned run in the bottom half of the inning.

The Bulldogs added a run in the fourth to go up 8-2, and they scored six times in the sixth. Craig Goubeaux brought in Shirley on a sacrifice fly, and Dosch scored on an error in the eighth to make the score 14-4. Butler added four more runs to its total in the ninth, and Dosch singled in Jack Graham in the bottom half for the final tally.

Butler starter Mike Hernandez allowed one earned run on six hits in six innings to earn the win for Butler.

Youngstown State will play four road games next week, starting with a game at Pittsburgh on Wednesday at 2 p.m.