DATE:                                   Tuesday, March 18
LOCATION:                        Indianapolis, Ind.  / Butler SB Field
LIVE STATS:                      butlersports.com
LIVE VIDEO:                      N/A
 
The Butler softball team hosts Ball State for a midweek non-conference game on Tuesday. The Bulldogs (16-7, 5-1 BIG EAST) are coming off a 2-1 series win at Providence. The Cardinals (15-7, 2-1 MAC) most recently won two of three games in a weekend conference series at Akron.
 
Bulldog Bits                                                                                        
       (through games 3/16/25)

• Cate Lehner is tied for the BIG EAST lead with 19 stolen bases. She is third in batting average (.430) and hits (37).
• Makena Alexander is tied for the BIG EAST lead with 7 home runs, third with a .735 slugging percentage, and fourth with 25 RBI.
• Ella White is third in the BIG EAST with a .519 on base percentage and fifth with 24 RBI.
• Leigh Vande Hei is fifth in the BIG EAST with a .419 batting average.
• Gwen Baker is fourth in the BIG EAST with 7 wins.
• Butler leads all BIG EAST teams in batting average (.330) and slugging percentage (.461) and is second in on base percentage (.410), runs scored (136), hits (205), stolen bases (49), and RBI (122).

vs. Providence

• Leigh Vande Hei led Butler's offense going 6-for-9 (.667) with three stolen bases and two runs scored.
• Paige Dorsett, Makena Alexander, and Olivia Moxley each had a home run in the game-three victory.
   
• After her performance in the conference series at Providence, Leigh Vande Hei was named to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll.
   

SCOUTING BALL STATE (15-7, 2-1 MAC)
Series- Ball State leads, 21-6

• Butler won most recently, a 5-4 victory in 2021 in Indianapolis.
• Butler has won the past three games held in Indianapolis (2021, 2018, and 2016)
• The teams have split the most recent ten meetings, 5-5, dating back to 2008.

Wins this season for the Cardinals include: Oregon State, UAlbany, Illinois State, Bellarmine, Evansville, and Akron.
Losses include: Oregon State, Illinois State, Northern Iowa, Middle Tennessee, and Charlotte.
 
Ball State vs. (opponents)               Butler
runs:       154-79                                        136
hits:         169-146                                     205
RBI:         137-73                                        122
SB:           40-10                                          49
ERA:       3.51-6.72                                   3.66
 
 Batting Leaders:

• McKayla Timmons (.500) 29H, 4-2B, 10HR, 30RBI, 11SB
• Maia Pietrzak (.343) 24H, 3HR, 9RBI, 5SB
• Kara Gunter (.333) 21H, 3-2B, 2HR, 15RBI
• Ella Whitney (.314) 22H, 5-2B, 4HR, 24RBI

Pitching Leaders:  

• Ella Whitney (10-1) 1.59 ERA, 37K
• Breanna Severino (2-4) 4.74 ERA, 21K
• Brinkley Kita (3-2) 5.33 ERA, 14K