Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 The Bulldogs scored four runs in the top of the seventh inning to push the game to extra frames before pulling out the contest 7-6 in 10 innings Saturday afternoon in Philadelphia. It gave the teams a split of the doubleheader as Villanova took the opener, 1-0.
Butler is now 26-21 overall and 9-7 in BIG EAST play. Villanova now stands at 30-16 (12-5 BIG EAST).
Sarah Dixon got Butler on the board first in the second game of the day, following a Maggie MacBeth lead-off single with a two-run homer to right field. Villanova would respond with six runs over the next six innings to take a 6-2 lead into the seventh. MacBeth had two hits in the game, moving her into the top spot on Butler's single-season hits list with 61.
Kristin Gutierrez came on in relief in the bottom of the seventh. An error and single gave the Wildcats a chance but left fielder Krosley Ogden threw out the Wildcat runner from left field to send the game to extra innings.
The teams matched scoreless frames before the 10th inning. A walk and an error put runners on first and second. Another error on the heels of a wild pitch scored pinch runner Sammy Anderson. Gutierrez finished things off in the bottom of the tenth, working around two hits.
Gutierrez got the win to improve to 10-12 after four scoreless innings of relief. Kate Poppe (19-11) took the loss in relief for Villanova. They were on the other ends of results in the first game.
In the opener, Poppe pitched her fifth career no-hitter in Villanova's 1-0 win. Sallee drew two walks for the Bulldogs.
Gutierrez was the hard-luck loser, allowing only two hits and an unearned run in six innings of work. She struck out seven and didn't walk a batter.
Villanova's lone run came in the bottom of the second inning as Aleshia Ayers scored on an error that resulted from a play that started with Sierra McConnell singling down the right field line with Ayers on first. Ayers reached base with two outs on a separate error the play before.
The teams meet Sunday for the rubber game of the three-game series. The first pitch is slated for 11 a.m. Live stats will be available.
