Box Score
Butler completed a three-game sweep of Villanova with a 9-5 win Sunday in Indianapolis. The Bulldogs are now off to a 4-1 start to BIG EAST play and have won five straight games to move to 16-17 on the season.
Jenna Foreman went 4-for-4 Sunday, adding a stolen base. She went 9-for-10 in the three-game series with the Wildcats.
Alyssa Lach had a pair of doubles and knocked in three of Butler's nine runs.
The game served as the team's annual Cancer Awareness Game as both Butler and Villanova wore pink jerseys and participated in a pregame ceremony where each player dedicated the game in honor or in memory of someone close to them who had been impacted by cancer. Lach mother, Monica, threw out the first pitch.
The three-game sweep is Butler's second since joining the BIG EAST prior to the 2014 season. Butler also sweep a three-game series at home against Georgetown in 2015.
Villanova drew first blood in the top of the third when Nikki Alden's single drove in two Wildcats. Butler would answer quickly in the bottom of the inning.
Two hits and an error loaded the bases for senior
Brandyce Sallee. Her single down the left field line scored
Alyssa Garcia. After the next two Bulldogs struck out, Lach stepped to the plate and delivered a two-out, bases-clearing double to right-center for a 4-2 Butler lead.
The teams traded runs in the fourth as Lauren Hanna homered to left field for Villanova and Foreman singled in
Kaitlin Doud in the bottom of the inning for Butler.
Hanna would cause Butler problems once again in the fifth inning as her double to left field scored two and tied the game at 5-5. It would have caused more damage except one batter earlier, Foreman caught a fly ball in foul territory outside the right field line and gunned down a Wildcat attempting to tag up from third.
Once again, Butler quickly responded, this time scoring three runs in the bottom of the fifth.
After
Madi Christiansen and Lach reached base,
Cheyenne Thompson plated both of them with a single. Another Bulldog scored later in the inning on an illegal pitch. That gave Butler an 8-5 lead. Butler would add another insurance run in the sixth.
Doud got the start in the circle for the Bulldogs and went three innings, allowing two runs.
Mikeila Boroff came on in relief to register in the win. She is now 5-4 on the season. She allowed three runs in four innings of work.
Brette Lawrence took the loss for Villanova.
Butler had 11 hits, compared to 10 for the visitors.
The Bulldogs return to action Wednesday, hosting Indiana State in a single game that begins at 5 p.m. Butler then returns to BIG EAST play next weekend, traveling to Providence.
