WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Butler softball team swept both games of a doubleheader against Georgetown on Sunday, finishing second in the regular season BIG EAST standings and locking up a No. 2 seed for this week's BIG EAST Tournament. The Bulldogs (31-15, 16-6) never trailed in game one, winning 3-1. In game two, the Hoyas (15-28, 5-16) homered to take an early lead, but Butler recovered for a 7-1 victory.
 
The Bulldogs will now prepare for the conference tournament which will take place Thursday, May 12, through Saturday, May 14, in Rosemont, Ill. UConn is the No. 1 seed, while Villanova and DePaul earned the No. 3 and No. 4 spots, respectively.
 
Game 1: Butler- 3, Georgetown- 1 (7 innings)

• In the second inning, Monique Hoosen (2-3, RBI, R, HR) led off with a home run that gave Butler an early lead.
• With the bases loaded in the third, Teagan O'Rilley was hit by a pitch, pushing Ella White across. One batter later, Loren Simpson singled and Mackenzie Griman scored, giving the Bulldogs a 3-0 lead.
• Georgetown scored one in the bottom of the third, closing the gap to two runs.
• Butler loaded the bases in both the fifth and sixth innings but was unable to score. The Hoyas did the same in the bottom of the sixth. 

Alyssa Graves (14-3) started for Butler in the circle, lasted 5.2 innings, and earned the win. She allowed three hits, one run (earned), and four walks while striking out six. Karli Ricketts (1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K) entered with two outs and the bases loaded in the sixth inning, retired the side, and then finished things off in the seventh, picking up a save.
 
Game 2: Butler- 7, Georgetown- 1 (7 innings)

• Georgetown took an early lead with a home run in the first inning.
• In the second, Loren Simpson doubled and knocked in Monique Hoosen, and later, Bri Avery (3-4, 2 RBI, 2 R, 2B, 3 SB) singled to send Simpson home from third. The Bulldogs led, 2-1.
• A Teagan O'Rilley single in the third inning pushed Ella White across the plate and extended the Butler advantage to 3-1.
• The Bulldogs added two in the fourth when Ellie Boyer (RBI, SB) hit a sacrifice fly, allowing Kaylee Gross to score, and Ella White laid down a bunt that gave Avery the opportunity to score from third. Butler led, 5-1.
• In the fifth, Avery hit a double that sent O'Rilley home and, later, stole both third and home to put the Bulldogs up, 7-1.

Karli Ricketts (14-5) pitched a complete game for Butler and earned the win. In 7.0 innings, she allowed four hits, one run (earned), and one walk while striking out eight.
 
Bulldog Bits

• Alyssa Graves' win in game one was her 14th of the season and the 41st of her career. She is now tied for third (Melissa Benter, '00-'04) on Butler's all-time list for career wins.
• The save for Karli Ricketts in game one was her second of the season and the third of her career. Her win in game two was her 14th of the season and the 33rd of her career. Her complete game in game two was her sixth of the season and the 29th of her career.
• Graves and Ricketts each picked up their 14th wins of the season today. Each is now tied for fourth on Butler's all-time list for wins in one season. Sara Unrue is in third with 15 wins in 1998.
   
• Monique Hoosen's home run in game one was her 10th of the season and puts her in sole possession of the fourth spot on Butler's all-time list for home runs in one season. With 13 for her career, she is now tied for ninth all-time at Butler.
• Bri Avery's had four stolen bases on the day, bringing her season total to 20. She has now matched Jenny Young (1982) and the two are tied for ninth on Butler's all-time list for stolen bases in one season. Avery has 40 for her career and remains in the eighth position.
• Avery's double was her second of the season and of her career.
• Loren Simpson's double was her first of the season and the ninth of her career.
• Lauren Fey's double was her fourth of the season and the 15th of her career. She was 4-for-5 in game two today. Though she has had multiple three-hit games in her career, this was her first four-hit game. Her career best was a five-hit game vs. La Salle in March, 2019.
• Ellie Boyer's stolen base was her 16th of the season.
• Kaylee Gross' stolen base was her second of the season.
   
• As a team, the Bulldogs now have 27 home runs this season and are one shy of cracking the top five all-time for Butler teams.
• The Bulldogs finished the regular season with 16 wins in BIG EAST play and have now won more conference games than any Butler softball team in program history.

Up Next
Butler will travel to Chicago, Ill., to compete in the BIG EAST Tournament, playing its first game on Thursday, May 12, at 3 pm ET (2 pm CT). The No. 2-seed Bulldogs will face No. 3-seed Villanova in the double-elimination format.