INDIANAPOLIS, IND. -- Freshman Alyssa Lach provided a lift at bat and in the field and helped power Butler to an 8-5 victory over Eastern Illinois in a non-conference game at the Butler Softball Field on Tuesday, April 15.  The win was Butler's third straight and lifted the Bulldogs to 18-22 on the season.

Lach sparked the Bulldogs in the bottom of the first inning with a grand slam over the left field fence.  It was her fourth home run of the season, and it gave the Bulldogs a lead they would never relinquish.

The first-year third baseman also drove in a run with a double in Butler's four-run rally in the fifth inning, after Eastern Illinois had trimmed the Bulldogs' margin to 4-3.

And when the Panthers opened the seventh inning with back-to-back singles bringing the tying run to the plate, Lach turned in a double-play on a ground ball to effectively end the threat.

"For a freshman, she's playing like a senior," said Butler head coach Scott Hall of his third sacker.  "Defensively, offensively, the last few games she's really played well for us."

Lach may have led the way, but she was hardly a one-player show for the surging Bulldogs.  Sophomore Audrey Hiner came off the bench and delivered a two-run double in the decisive fifth inning, which started with a solo home run by senior Kristen Boros.

Senior Gronowski had a pair of hits in two official trips to the plate, and sophomore Brandyce Sallee scored a pair of runs.  Alex Kotter, Chelsea Norwood and Sarah Dixon all added hits to Butler's 10-hit attack.

"We get timely hitting, and that makes a difference," noted Hall.  "Big double play in the seventh to to squelch the rally.  We're catching some breaks finally.  And a lot of that is you make your own luck."

Sophomore Kacey Starwalt started and pitched three-and-a-third innings for the Bulldogs.  She gave up six hits and three runs in her stint, while improving to 6-3 on the season.  Freshman Mikeila Boroff came on in relief in the fourth inning and held the Panthers to two runs on three hits the rest of the way, while earning her first career save.

Eastern Illinois (14-22), coached by former Butler softball coach Angie Nicholson, picked up four runs on two-run, home runs by April Markowski and Amber Toenyes.  The fifth run was driven in by Bailey O'Dell.

Butler's three wins have all come in a four-day stretch.  The Bulldogs will try to extend the streak when they host BIG EAST foe Georgetown in a three-game series beginning on Saturday, April 18.

It's been a good three-game streak for us, and we'll take it," added Hall.