Box Score

Butler's 2017 season came to end Friday as the Bulldogs lost, 9-3, to top-seeded St. John's in the semifinals of the BIG EAST Tournament in Rosemont, Ill. With the result, Butler finishes the campaign at 23-29.

St. John's advances to Saturday's championship game and will face the winner of the second semifinal between DePaul and Villanova.

The Bulldogs got on the board first with three runs in the top of the first. Madi Christiansen's double scored Jenna Foreman, who had led off the frame with a walk. One batter later, Kaitlin Doud singled in Brandyce Sallee. Christiansen later scored on a wild pitch for Butler's third run. After Doud's single, St. John's replaced starter McKenzie Murray with Grace Kramer.

St. John's got all three runs back in the bottom half of the inning as Kaitlin Mattera sent a three-run home run over the center field wall.

The score would stay tied until a five-run fourth inning broke the game open for the Red Storm. Four hits and two Butler errors contributed to the St. John's rally. SJU would add one run in the sixth for the final margin.

Butler had no answers for Kramer, who allowed only one hit, one walk and one hit by pitch in her 6.1 innings of work. She improved to 9-4 on the season.

Doud took the loss (8-8). She allowed six earned runs in three-plus innings. Mikeila Boroff and Gabbi Schnaiter both saw time in the circle Friday. At the plate, Doud finished with two of the Bulldogs' four hits.

2017 marks the second consecutive season that Butler has advanced to the four-team BIG EAST Tournament. The program is set to return a talented group of student-athletes for the upcoming season.