INDIANAPOLIS – Nick Eaton guided Butler to a 4-1 victory in game one, but the Red Storm would answer with a 9-4 victory in the nightcap to signal the end of the line for Butler baseball home games in 2021.
 
Game 1
Dan Harwood doubled to left centerfield in the bottom of the first inning to break open the scoring for the Bulldogs in game three. James Gargano scored from second base on the at-bat with a nice slide that narrowly beat the throw.
 
Freddie Matos picked up an RBI on his first trip to the box on Saturday with a ground out that advanced each runner and made the game 2-0. Andy Bennett followed in the order with a hard hit ball to the Red Storm shortstop. His at-bat would end with an RBI as well with Harwood sprinting home and giving BU a 3-0 advantage.
 
The Johnnies struck back in the second with a two-out double to left that scored a run. David Glancy made the most of his first appearance of the weekend and would score David Williams on the extra-base hit.
 
The Bulldogs would regain their three-run lead in the bottom of the fourth. Jonah Wichman got a ball by the third baseman to score Brody McGrath.
 
Eaton pitched a complete game (7 IP) to earn his second win of the season. The southpaw struck out three, didn't issue a walk and limited the Johnnies to just one run off two hits.
 
Game 2
Tyler Roche had trouble finding the strike zone in the first inning for St. John's which resulted in a quick 1-0 lead for BU. Roche hit Gargano and walked three other batters to begin his sixth start of 2021. Butler's lone run came off a sacrifice fly from Matos. Roche dodged further trouble by getting a ground ball that resulted in an inning-ending double play.
 
Steinhart doubled the lead for Butler in the bottom of the third with a solo shot that hit the scoreboard in right field. It was his fifth home run of the season.
 
The 2-0 lead would evaporate in the top half of the fourth. John MacCauley walked two batters to load the bases and Colin Wetterau would make him pay with a two-RBI single to center that tied the game. The Johnnies would own a 4-2 lead moments later after a two-RBI single. Chris Conniff hit a ball right back up the middle of the field to score Wetterau and Higgins.
 
MacCauley would exit the ballgame in the top of the fifth inning with the bases loaded. Head Coach Dave Schrage would go with Scott Wright out of the bullpen to face Marty Higgins with two gone. The decision worked as Wright sat Higgins down on strikes to keep the game at 4-2.
 
The fifth inning was jam packed with action and the script stayed the same in the bottom half of the frame. Butler loaded the bases after a pair of walks from relief pitcher Brandyn Cruz, but Tim Cunningham would get the Red Storm out of trouble with a strikeout to end the threat.
 
Higgins got revenge on Wright in the seventh inning. He recorded an infield single with the bases loaded to add on to the St. John's lead. Wright remained on the mound with Wetterau at the dish. The St. John's catcher struck out swinging on a 2-2 count.
 
St. John's added another run to their scoring total in the eighth. Derek Drees entered the game for the Bulldogs and quickly struck out two batters. He then would walk Bartels and Hogan would hit an RBI double to center to move the score to 6-2.
 
Butler added a run in the bottom of the eighth inning. Andy Bennett grounded into a double play, but Dan Harwood would score for the 'Dawgs. Any chance of a comeback would come crashing down in the top of the ninth. The Red Storm scored three more runs to earn a 9-4 victory.
 
John MacCauley was hit with the loss as each starter exited the game after 4.2 innings of action. Scott Wright and Derek Drees were solid in relief along with senior Jack Pilcher.
 
Tim Cunningham would take his first win of the season on the mound. St. John's also threw Joe Joe Rodriguez and Ethan Routzahn on Saturday.
 
Butler will end the 2021 regular season next weekend with a four-game series at Georgetown. Game one will open on Thursday night at 6 PM. Friday will feature a doubleheader with a 2 PM start and the finale is set for Saturday at 1 PM.