INDIANAPOLIS – Butler and Northern Kentucky split a doubleheader on Sunday afternoon with the Norse winning game one 6-4, and Butler taking home a victory in game two 3-0.
Connor Schultz and
Nick Eaton combined for seven full innings of no-hit action in the nightcap.
Game one was scheduled for just seven innings, but the Norse charged back to tie the game at 4-4 in the top of the seventh and would go on to win the opener 6-4 after scoring two more runs in the eighth.
Andrew Bacon was responsible for the biggest hit of the game for NKU. He singled to center to score two runs with two outs and would knot the contest at 4-4.
Two costly BU errors would also impact the outcome. The first came in the second inning to give NKU the early 1-0 lead and the second was in the eighth allowing Northern Kentucky to take a 5-4 lead. Hedges would add insurance for NKU in the eighth as well with a RBI single that scored Odom.
Butler's offense recorded four runs off nine hits. The scoring opened up in the third with
Duncan Hewitt sending
James Gargano home with an RBI single to center. BU would score in the fourth and fifth as well with RBI singles from
AJ Poynter and
Aaron Steinhart. The final Bulldog run crossed home plate in the sixth off an
Andy Bennett sac fly.
Poynter went 2-for-4 from the dish and
Dan Harwood was 3-for-4 with two runs scored. He also hit his first triple of the season.
The loss fell to
John MacCauley (3-2) while the win went to Kyle Klingenbeck (3-5). Each starter had a nice outing, but would exit without a decision. Noah Richardson threw five innings and
Jack Myers was responsible for six. The wildest stat of the day was that those two combined for just one strikeout.
Game two had quality pitching for each side as well, and with game one moving past the seventh inning tied up, this game would be moved to seven innings.
Connor Schultz threw the first 3.2 innings of action and
Nick Eaton was responsible for the final 3.1 innings to no-hit Northern Kentucky. Eaton was in the zone with six strikeouts and no walks during his time on the mound.
Offensively, BU scored three runs off five hits.
Andy Bennett hit an RBI single in the second to score Harwood and Gargano would double the BU lead in the third with a solo home run. Butler's final run of game two came unearned on a fielder's choice from Poynter.
Butler will return to BIG EAST action this weekend when they host a four-game series vs. Creighton. Game one on Friday, May 7 will begin at 4 PM.
