INDIANAPOLIS – Villanova collected two wins at Bulldog Park on Saturday to improve to 9-25 on the season. The Wildcats won game one 10-2 and stormed back to win the nightcap 18-15. With today's results, the Bulldogs move to 7-27 on the year.
 
Game one got off to a fast start with Jack O'Reilly delivering a two-run home run for the visitors in the first inning. The Bulldogs didn't blink and got the two runs back in the bottom half of the inning thanks to a Xavier Carter triple that scored Scott Jones and an RBI single from Jake DeFries.
 
The Butler bats were not able to do any more damage the rest of the way and Villanova would add at least one run in the fourth through ninth innings to come up with the 10-2 victory. Devin Rivera was credited with the win (2-4) while Cory Bosecker took the loss.
 
Game two was wild from start to finish. Butler had 18 hits in the finale, yet still lost 18-15. Villanova scored six runs in the sixth, four more in the seventh, two in the eighth and won the game with five in the ninth.
 
Craig Larsen was 4-for-5 from the plate with three RBIs and four runs scored. O'Reilly was also impressive with three hits and three runs scored in game two.
 
Joey Urban, Xavier Carter and Keegan Connors all had doubles in the final game of the series for Butler. Scott Jones was also hot from the plate with a pair of triples to record four RBI.
 
Game three of the series looked to be under control as Butler opened up a 9-1 edge in the fifth. The turning point came soon after with Michael Whooley hitting a grand slam for Nova in the sixth. Craig Larson also had a huge at-bat to give Nova a go-ahead home run in the eighth.
 
Butler was able to tie the game at 13-13 in the bottom of the eighth off a Carter RBI single, but a John Whooley triple in the ninth would push Nova over the top.
 
The Bulldogs will be off on Monday and then host the Northern Kentucky Norse at 4 PM on Tuesday.