The Bulldogs opened BIG EAST play Saturday, hosting DePaul for a doubleheader at the Butler Softball Field in Indianapolis. The visitors came away with a pair of wins as DePaul took the first game by a score of 8-5, followed by a 6-3 decision in the second game.

Following the results, DePaul improves to 21-8 on the season; Butler is now 9-19.  

Butler was first to the scoreboard in the first game as Kaitlin Doud roped a double to left-center that scored Sydney Kempf in the bottom half of the second inning
DePaul would answer in the next frame, when Morgan Greenwood knocked in two runs on a double that reached the centerfield fence. The Blue Demons would score four unanswered runs before Butler began to rally in the bottom of the fifth.

Senior Jenna Foreman led off the inning with a single to center field and then stole second base. After a Lauren Fey groundout sent Foreman to third, Sammy Andersen dropped a bunt single that brought Foreman home. Karli Ricketts picked up an RBI on a double to right-center that scored Andersen and shrunk the DePaul lead to 4-3.

DePaul's lead increased to 7-3 in the top of the sixth.

Butler put together one last rally in the bottom of the sixth. The inning started with a walk, a single and a DePaul error. Lauren Fey's RBI single up the middle drove in Maddie Moore. Christina Candotti joined in on the action with an RBI single of her own, scoring Gilliland and bringing the DePaul lead to just two runs. The Bulldogs couldn't push any additional runs as DePaul got out of a one-out, bases-loaded jam.

A single run gave DePaul an 8-5 lead entering the bottom of the seventh. Butler brought the tying run to the plate with two outs and runners on first and third, but the Blue Demons ended the rally and the game.

Natalie Halvorson got the win (12-4) for DePaul; Alyssa Graves took the loss for Butler.

Behind three home runs, DePaul won, 6-3, in the second game of the twinbill. Gabby O'Riley went 4-for-4 for the Blue Demons, including her third home run of the season.
The Blue Demons had a 5-0 lead after three-and-a-half innings. DePaul had 16 hits on the afternoon.

Fey had two hits and two RBI for the Bulldogs.

Krista Dalgarn (9-4) got the win for DePaul, surrendering seven hits. Ricketts got the start for the Bulldogs before giving way to Doud, who pitched the final 5.1 innings in the circle.

The teams will complete the weekend three-game series Sunday with a scheduled noon first pitch. The game will be streamed on the BIG EAST Digital Network, which is part of the FOX Sports Go app.