INDIANAPOLIS, IND. -- Visiting St. John's used a pair of late rallies to sweep a BIG EAST doubleheader against Butler, playing at home for the first time this season, on Saturday, March 28.  The Red Storm captured the first game at the Butler Softball Field, 3-2, and then completed the twinbill sweep with a 6-4 victory in the second contest.

Both victories were clinched in the closing innings.  St. John's (9-13, 2-0 BIG EAST) won the opener with a single run in the top of the seventh inning.  The visitors then rallied from a 4-2 deficit in the second game with two runs in the fifth inning and two more in the sixth.

The two setbacks dropped Butler to 14-14 on the year and 2-3 in conference play.

"We let them get away," said Butler head coach Scott Hall after the doubleheader.  "We've got to compete for seven innings and 21 outs.  If you take one or two outs off, it will come back to bite you."

St. John's jumped in front with the long ball in the opener, scoring its first two runs on solo home runs by Erin Burner and Krystal Puga.  Butler answered the first St. John's home run with a solo blast by freshman Alyssa Lach in the second inning, and then the Bulldogs tied the game in the sixth on a run-scoring single by Chelsea Norwood.

The Red Storm scored the game-winner in the top of the seventh on a single by Yvonne Rericha, a sacrifice bunt, an infield ground out and an infield single by Kaitlyn Wilkens.

The Bulldogs challenged in the bottom of the seventh when Sarah Gronowski reached on a bunt single with one out and then stole second base.  But St. John's righthander Tori Free retired the final two batters she faced to record her third win of the season.

Butler grabbed a 3-1 lead in the first inning of the second game on a two-run, home run by Alex Kotter and a run-scoring sacrifice bunt by Lach.  The Bulldogs then made it 4-1 in the third inning on a double by Brandyce Sallee and a single by Lach.

But St. John's came back with a single run in the fourth inning and then two runs each in the fifth and sixth frames.  Puga drove in both runs with a double down the right field line.

Free, who entered the game in the sixth inning, retired the Bulldogs in order in the bottom of the seventh to earn her first save of the season.  Senior Francesca Carrullo, who came on in relief of starter McKenzie Murray in the first inning, picked up the win for the Red Storm, while Butler starter Kristen Boros was charged with the loss.

Sallee led Butler's eight-hit attack in the second game with a pair of doubles, her seventh and eighth of the season.

The two BIG EAST foes will wrap up the three game series with a single game on Sunday, starting at 11 a.m., at the Butler Softball Field.