PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. – The start of Butler's spring break trip couldn't have gotten off to a better start as the Bulldogs came away with a 10-9 victory against Northwestern on Saturday afternoon. The Wildcats tied the game in the bottom of the ninth with a pair of extra base hits, but the Bulldogs would not be denied as they earned their third win of the season in the 10th inning.

Jordan Lucio recorded the game-winning RBI with a deep shot to right field that allowed Nick Bartolone to tag up from third and score. Butler jumped out in front by scoring at least one run in each of the first five innings, but a late rally from Northwestern would keep the game close.

Early on in the action, Butler took a 3-1 edge into the third in part to a balk and two RBI singles. Gehrig Parker highlighted the top of the third for BU with a triple that scored Tyler Houston and Jordan Lucio.

The Bulldogs would get a sacrifice fly from Houston in the fourth and another run would come around to score in the fifth as Parker found home plate on a passed ball.

Northwestern would chip away at the lead in the fifth and sixth innings, but BU answered with yet another single run in the seventh off an RBI single from Connor Dall. Each team went quietly in the eighth, but the Bulldogs would add another score in the ninth off a sac fly from Dall.

The Wildcats wouldn't go away in the ninth as they forced extra innings by scoring two runs off three hits, but the game would still go to Butler as Lucio's RBI regained the BU lead.

The bottom of the tenth got interesting with RJ Watters leading off with a single. Northwestern elected to play small ball by sacrificing the runner to second and a single from Zach Jones would put runners on the corners with just one out.

The Butler defense came through in crunch time as Zach Barnes got Joe Hoscheit to ground into a double play 6-4-3 to end the game. Barnes picked up the win after tossing the final two innings of the game. He struck out three and only walked one.

The start went to Jeff Schank who tossed the first five innings of action. Schank exited the game with four strikeouts, allowing three earned runs off eight hits.

Barnes and Schank highlighted the defense while Parker and Dall were the players of the game from the plate. Parker went 4-for-5 with two RBIs and two runs scored as the BU DH today. Dall hit right behind Parker and hurt the Wildcats with a 2-for-4 day from the plate with two RBIs and a run scored.