INDIANAPOLIS – The Butler softball team completed the sweep of DePaul in the opening series of BIG EAST play, notching a 14-1 game-three victory in five innings on Sunday. The Bulldogs (14-5, 3-0 BIG EAST) scored in every inning in which they batted and held the Blue Demons (10-11, 0-3 BIG EAST) to a single run in the third.
Game 3: Butler 14, DePaul 1 (5 innings)
In the first inning, Butler used a pair of singles, a sacrifice bunt, and a sacrifice fly to take a 2-0 lead.
One inning later, the Dawgs added three runs off three singles, three walks, a wild pitch, and an error. An
Ella White two-RBI single highlighted the inning, as
Cate Lehner (2-4, 3R, SB) and
Leigh Vande Hei (3-3, 2R, 2RBI) crossed the plate.
In the top of the third, DePaul advanced a runner to third and brought her home with a single off the pitcher.
In the bottom half of the third, Butler broke the game open with eight runs off six singles, two walks, and two errors.
Makena Alexander (1-2, 3RBI) and
Sydney Carter (2-4, 2R, 2RBI) each pushed two across on their singles. The Dawgs were up, 13-1.
Butler added one more run in the bottom of the fourth.
Paige Lillie singled off the pitcher which allowed White (2-2, 2R, 2RBI) to score from second.
In the top of the fifth, the Blue Demons advanced runners to second and third but could not score.
Gwen Baker (6-2) started in the circle for Butler and picked up the win. In 4.0 innings she allowed one run on two hits and two walks while striking out a pair.
Kayla Noerr (1.0 IP, BB, K) faced four batters in the fifth while finishing the game.
Bulldog Bits
- Butler hit 14 singles in the game and had no extra-base hits.
- Gwen Baker's win in the circle was her sixth this season.
- Butler's most recent BIG EAST series sweep was in 2023 at Providence.
Up Next
Butler travels to Bloomington, Indiana, for a midweek contest with the Hoosiers on Tuesday, March 11. The following weekend, the Bulldogs are in Providence, Rhode Island, for a three-game BIG EAST series with the Friars.
