VILLANOVA – Butler split a Saturday doubleheader at Villanova with a 3-2 setback in game one, followed by a 10-9 win over the Wildcats in 11 innings.
Carter Dorighi went 5-for-6 with a game-winning home run in the nightcap. Dorighi was able to set the Butler single-season hit record in the victory. His 85 hits this year passed Harrison Freed (82) for the top spot in school history.
Dorighi scored the first run of the game for BU in game two. He singled to start the game, stole second, stole third, then came home on a
Joey Urban single up the middle of the diamond. BU led 2-0 after a groundout from
Ethan Vecrumba, but the Wildcats fought back in the bottom half of the first.
Hassert homered, Shaw tied it with an RBI single and Dennis would give Nova a 3-2 lead. A Whooley double in the second made the game 4-2, but
Tommy Townsend would even the battle at 4-4 moments later. Townsend homered to right in the third and singled to right in the fifth to tie the action.
An O'Reilly homer in the sixth extended the Villanova lead to 7-4 in the sixth, but Butler would score one in the seventh, one more in the eighth and two in the ninth to send the game into extra innings.
Evan Parks and Keegan Conners came up clutch in crunch time. Parks singled to right in the ninth to score Drumm and Connors would follow suit to send Munton home.
Munton had a sac fly in the 10th to give BU a 9-8 edge, but Whooley would homer in the 10th to pull the 'Cats even. Action would end in the 11th with Dorighi hitting the homer and
Cole Graverson sitting the Wildcats down in order to finish off Nova.
Graverson got the win while
Nate Rosser got the start. Rosser went four full and
Grant Brooks was great out of the bullpen to toss three. The loss went to Francis.
Game one went quick with Villanova claiming a 3-2 win. Butler broke up a scoreless tie in the fourth with an unearned run, but a Shaw solo shot in the sixth would even the scoreboard at 1-1.
Butler got a lift from Urban in the eighth with a solo home run, but two Nova homers would follow in the bottom of eight to give the home team the win.
Graverson took the loss while Montfort was credited with the win.
Tyler Banks was solid for BU in his start. The right-hander tossed seven full innings, limiting the Wildcats to just one run off three hits. He struck out five and walked two. McCollough was also tough for Nova before exiting the game for Montfort. He matched Banks with seven innings allowing one run off five hits.
Rain is in the forecast for Sunday, but these two evenly matched teams will try to play game three of the series on Mother's Day, beginning at Noon.
