Series Information – at Villanova
DATE: Friday, May 3 – Sunday, May 5
LOCATION: Villanova, Pa. / Villanova Softball Complex
LIVE STATS: butlersports.com
LIVE VIDEO: FloSports
Full Notes
The Butler softball team will be fighting for a spot in the postseason this weekend when it travels to Villanova for a three-game BIG EAST series. The Bulldogs (20-26, 9-12 BIG EAST) are coming off a 1-2 series with Creighton and a mid-week loss to Indiana. The Wildcats (27-20, 18-3 BIG EAST) most recently went 2-1 in a series with UConn.
Butler currently sits one game behind Providence in a battle for the sixth spot in the 2024 BIG EAST Tournament. Each team has three games remaining, with the Friars traveling to Creighton this weekend. Butler owns the tiebreaker against Providence (by winning the season series, 2-1). If Butler ends the upcoming weekend with a better BIG EAST winning percentage than Providence, or if the teams are tied in the standings at the end of the weekend, Butler would claim the sixth and final spot in the postseason conference tournament.
Bulldog Bits
(as of 4-29-24)
- Ella White is second in the BIG EAST with four sacrifice flies (43rd nationally). Addition conference (national) rankings include: 38 RBI-4th, 12 doubles-6th, .621 slugging %-6th, and 8 HR-10th.
- Monique Hoosen is second in the BIG EAST (96th nationally) with 11 home runs, and her .635 slugging % is third.
- Kieli Ryan leads the BIG EAST (11th nationally) with 14 base runners caught stealing.
- Katie Petran is second in the BIG EAST (86th nationally) with 13 wins in the circle.
- Cate Lehner is second in the BIG EAST (50th nationally) with 0.20 sacrifice bunts per game and is third (41st) with 22 stolen bases.
vs. Creighton (Apr. 19-21)
- In game two, Monique Hoosen had a 3-hit, 6-RBI performance. In the third inning, her three-run double put Butler up 5-2. Then, in the sixth, her three-run home run tied the game at eight.
- Katie Petran pitched a three-hit, complete-game shutout vs. Creighton in game one of the series. She had zero walks and struck out three.
- Makena Alexander was named the BIG EAST Freshman of the Week for her performance in the series. In Butler's game-one, one-run victory over the Bluejays, Alexander singled to left field in the sixth inning, sending home what would ultimately be the game-winning run.
SCOUTING VILLANOVA (27-20, 18-3 BIG EAST)
All-Time Series- Villanova leads, 12-10
- 2023 (Indianapolis): Villanova 5-3/ Butler 2-0 / Villanova 7-2
2022 (Villanova): Butler 3-1 / Butler 6-0
2021 (Indianapolis): Villanova 3-0/ Villanova 4-1 / Villanova 3-0
- Villanova won, 2-0, in the 2022 BIG EAST Tournament in Rosemont, Illinois, and also in the 2021 postseason in Storrs, Connecticut, 14-5.
- 2024 BIG EAST series results:
Seton Hall (W-W-W), Providence (W-W-W), Georgetown (W-W-W), Creighton (L-W-L),
St. John's (W-W-W), DePaul (W-W-W), UConn (W-L-W)
- Wins for the Wildcats this season also include: Georgia Tech, Michigan State, Louisville, and Central Michigan.
- Losses include: No. 6 Duke, No. 11 Alabama, No. 13 Missouri, Virginia, and South Florida.
Villanova vs. (opponents) Butler
runs: 255-189 190
hits: 335-321 329
RBI: 237-170 173
SB: 16-50 53
ERA: 3.52-5.23 5.30
Batting Leaders:
- #13 Lilly St. Jean (.352) 13-2B, 5HR, 33RBI
- #15 Tess Cites (.342) 51H, 9HR, 23RBI
- #23 Ally Jones (.315) 7-2B, 6HR, 25 RBI
- #10 Ava Franz (.301) 44H, 2-3B, 8HR, 39RBI
Pitching Leaders:
- #16 Caroline Pellicano (6-6) 2.01 ERA, 42K
- #6 Alyssa Seidler (10-3) 3.39 ERA, 103K
- #11 Kelsey White (6-5) 4.03 ERA, 39K
