CARBONDALE, Ill. – The Butler softball team defeated Loyola, 9-2, and then dropped on to Tennessee-Martin, 6-4, in its opening games of the Saluki Invitational.
The Bulldogs (4-14) led the Ramblers (3-12) from start to finish. The UTM Skyhawks (4-7), on the other hand, built a 4-0 lead before Butler tied things up in the sixth inning. UTM was able to score two in the seventh and ultimately hold off the Bulldogs for the win.
Game 1: Butler- 9, Loyola- 2 (7 innings)
In the top of the second inning, after
Monique Hoosen (3-4, HR, 3B, 2B, 2 R, 2 RBI) tripled and
Kieli Ryan (2-3, 2 R) was hit by a pitch,
Olivia Moxley (2-4, 2B, RBI) produced a double to left field that put the Bulldogs up, 1-0.
Cate Lehner then knocked Ryan across, and Moxley scored by stealing home. Butler held the 3-0 lead until the third.
In the bottom of the third, Loyola scored one but left three stranded. The score remained 3-1 through four innings.
In the top of the fifth, Butler loaded the bases with only one out.
Teagan O'Rilley (2-4) hit a single that scored two, and Hoosen hit a double that send one more across. The Bulldogs extended the lead to 8-1 the following inning when
Kaylee Gross (2-4, 2B, 2 RBI) hit a two-run double down the right field line.
The Ramblers plated one more on a home run in the sixth, but Hoosen matched that with her own dinger and that ended the scoring.
Mackenzie Griman (2-6) picked up her second win of the season, pitching the complete seven innings for Butler. She allowed two runs, both earned, on four hits and one walk, while striking out one.
Game 2: Tennessee-Martin- 6, Butler- 4 (7 innings)
Butler loaded the bases in the second but could not get any runs across.
In the top of the third, Tennessee-Martin used a pair of singles along with a sacrifice bunt to take a 1-0 lead, and then a lead-off home in the fourth put the Skyhawks up, 2-0.
In the top of the sixth, UTM added two runs to extend its lead to 4-0, but in the bottom half, the Bulldogs' bats came to life.
Monique Hoosen drew a walk and, after advancing to third, was knocked in by an
Ella White single. Then, after an
Olivia Moxley single,
Sydney Carter hit a double to left that pushed White and Moxley across. With the score 4-3 in favor of UTM, the Skyhawks made a pitching change.
Mackenzie Griman stepped up and singled to left, sending Carter home as the tying run. The teams entered the final frame with the score knotted, 4-4.
In the seventh, after a UTM double, Butler starting pitcher
Rylyn Dyer re-entered the game, replacing
Sydney Cammon who had provided relief for Dyer at the beginning of the fifth. Dyer retired one but gave up a two-run double before securing the third out. UTM led, 6-4, and was three outs away from the win.
With its final at bat, Butler advanced a runner to third but could not extend or win the game.
Rylyn Dyer (2-4) pitched 4.2 total innings for Butler and took the loss. She started the game and, after being relieved at the end of four, re-entered in the seventh. Overall, she allowed three runs, all earned, on five hits and one walk, while striking out one.
Sydney Cammon (2.1 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 3 ER, BB, K) provided relief for the fifth, sixth, and the beginning of the seventh innings.
Bulldog Bits
- Monique Hoosen's home run vs. Loyola was her fifth of the season and the 18th of her career.
- Hoosen hit a home run, a triple, and a double vs. Loyola. It was her first triple of the season and her second double.
- Kaylee Gross's double vs. Loyola was her second of the season and the third of her career.
- Olivia Moxley's double vs. Loyola was her second of the season, and her stolen base was the first of her career.
- Sydney Carter's double vs. UTM was her second of the season.
- Cate Lehner's stolen base vs. UTM was her fourth of the season.
Up Next
Butler plays two more games in the Saluki Invite in Carbondale, Ill., on Sunday, Mar. 5. The Bulldogs will have a rematch with Loyola and will then take on the host school, SIU.
