INDIANAPOLIS - Freshmen both at the plate and on the mound led the Butler baseball team to a 6-4 win over Earlham on Wednesday at Bulldog Park.

Nick Saldutti and Nick Bartalone, two newcomers getting a rare start, each went 2-for-3 and keyed a four-run rally in the bottom of the 5th to key the Bulldogs to the win. Another freshman, Dillan Souther, pitched a perfect 5th to earn his first win as a Bulldog.

In all, Butler started four freshmen in the lineup, brought one off the bench and used two on the mound.

Junior Marcos Calderon also went 2-for-3 and junior Marco Caponi drilled a two-run double during the key 5th inning. Otherwise, the game was essentially even as Earlham and Butler were scoreless until the bottom of the 5th.

The Bulldogs' big inning started with one out when Saldutti stroked a double to right-center. Following a walk drawn by senior Bob Akin, Bartolone singled to load the bases. Caponi smacked a two-run double to right to put BU up 2-0. Bartolone scored on a wild pitch to give the Dawgs a 3-0 lead and Caponi scored on a sac fly.

The Quakers loaded the bases in the top of the 6th and got one of those runs back. They would score twice more in the top of the 8th.

Senior Pat Gelwicks doubled over the rightfielder's head in the 8th, and scored on a single by freshman Chris Marras to give Butler an insurance run and a 6-3 lead. Earlham scored in the 9th but Will Schierholz was able to find the last out for his first save.

Butler (14-15) will play at Dayton for a three-game series this weekend.