INDIANAPOLIS – The Butler Bulldogs are a leg up on the Villanova Wildcats after the first game of the three-game weekend series. Butler scored four runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to help them secure the 6-3 win at Bulldog Park. Jeff Schank recorded his third win of the season on the hill while Danny Pobereyko came in for the save.

The early stages of the first game of the BIG EAST series flew by as each pitcher retired batters in order to open up the fast paced action. Butler got one run on the scoreboard in the fourth off a sac fly from Ryan Wojciechowski, but it was the sixth inning that put Butler in the driver's seat.

The sixth opened up with a pair of infield bunt singles surrounding a walked batter in Austin Miller. Wojciechowski returned in the order to pick up two more RBIs with a single to right center and the game would really open up with a two RBI single from Chris Marras during the next at-bat.

Wojciechowski and Marras were great for BU on Friday afternoon with Wojciechowski going 1-for-3 with a team-high three RBIs and Marras going 3-for-4 from the dish.

While Wojciechowski and Marras took care of the run production it was Schank, Kyle Allen and Pobereyko slowing down the Nova bats over the nine-inning game.

Schank got the start and worked fast through the first five innings. He ended the game going 6.2 with five strikeouts. He gave up two earned runs (both walked in with the bases loaded) in part to walking five batters.

Allen moved to the mound to get the Bulldogs out of trouble and remained in the game for 1.2 innings of action. He was hit with one earned run before giving the ball to Pobereyko for the save.

Butler scored their six runs off 10 hits, they played clean defense and ended the contest error free while the visitors committed three miscues. One of Villanova's three mistakes on the game allowed Butler to score an insurance run in the bottom of the seventh.

Butler took a 6-2 lead into the ninth, but the game was far from over as Nova loaded the bases with just one out. Adam Goss singled through the right side to score one, but the pitching was just too good down the stretch as Pobereyko registered back-to-back strikeouts to end the game.

Butler and Villanova now share the same BIG EAST record at 4-6. With the win Butler moves to 17-26 overall while the Wildcats drop to 18-23. The two teams will come together once again at Bulldog Park tomorrow for a 1 p.m. first pitch.