HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, KY. -- Butler used a strong finish to capture the opening game, 13-8, and a strong start to take the second, 11-3, completing a doubleheader sweep of Northern Kentucky on Wednesday (March 18).  The two wins in the non-conference twinbill lifted the Bulldogs to 12-10 on the season.

Senior Kristen Boros and  sophomore Chelsea Norwood sparked the Bulldogs to a come-from-behind win in the opener.  Northern Kentucky (3-14) jumped to a 3-0 lead in the first inning and stretched the margin to 8-2 after three innings.

Butler's comeback started with four runs in the fourth inning, keyed by a two-run double by Norwood.  Sophomore Brandyce Sallee also had a run-scoring double in the inning.  The Bulldogs then made it a one-run game on a run-scoring single by Boros in the fifth frame.

It remained a one-run Northern Kentucky lead until the top of the seventh, when the Bulldogs exploded for six runs on eight hits.  Boros drove in a pair of runs with a single and Norwood plated a single run with an infield single.  Alex Kotter, Alyssa Lach and Audrey Hiner also picked up RBI's in the rally.

Maria Leichty led Butler's 24-hit attack in the win with four hits, while Boros, Norwood, Hiner and Sarah Gronowski each added three hits.  Freshman Mikeila Boroff came on in relief of Butler starter Kristin Gutierrez and blanked the Norse over the final four innings to pick up her third win of the season.

The Bulldogs continued to swing hot bats in the second game, unloading nine runs in the first inning against the Norse.  Norwood helped ignite the initial rally with a two-run double, and Alex Kotter finished the inning with a three-run double.

That start was more than enough for Butler starter Kacey Starwalt, who limited Northern Kentucky to three runs on six hits through six innings.  Butler added single runs in the third and sixth innings to claim the run-shortened victory.

Junior Krosley Ogden, Kotter, Norwood, Lach and Gronowski each contributed a pair of hits to Butler's second-game offense.

The Bulldogs will begin BIG EAST play with a three-game series at Creighton this weekend.  The two teams will play a doubleheader on Saturday (March 21) and a single game on Sunday (March 22).