INDIANAPOLIS - Butler opened the 2026 campaign on Friday afternoon with a doubleheader against UT Martin. The Dawgs and Skyhawks split the two games as BU secured a 10-7, 10-inning victory in game one before dropping game two 9-8.
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BULLDOG HIGHLIGHTS GAME ONE

• Jack Hagen earned the win on the mound for Butler, tossing 4.0 innings of relief. Hagen allowed three hits and one run while punching out four.
• Gavin Gillmore went 3-for-5 at the plate with two runs scored, two RBIs and a home run.
• Alex Christie hit a solo home run.
• Danny Gavin was 2-for-5 with an RBI and a double.
• Will Burgess recorded two hits, two runs scored, an RBI and a walk.
• David Ayers hit the go-ahead three-run home run in the top of the 10th that helped secure the victory for BU.
• Logan Crock went 2-for-4 with a double and a run scored. Crock also earned a walk in the contest.
• Brock Buckley tossed six innings and allowed eight hits and five earned runs while fanning four.

HOW IT HAPPENED GAME ONE

• After a scoreless top half of the first from the Dawgs, UT Martin opened the bottom half of the first with two hits and an error from the Butler defense as the home side got on the board first, taking the 1-0 lead into the second.
• Butler responded quickly as Christie took a 2-2 pitch deep to left field, evening the score with a leadoff solo homer. The solo shot was just the start of an explosive inning for the Dawgs as Gavin reached on an error after the homer. In the ensuing at bat, Burgess singled up the middle and advanced on an error, allowing Gavin to score as BU took the 2-1 lead. A groundout brought Burgess home as the Dawgs took the 3-1 advantage into the bottom half of the frame. The Skyhawks responded with a three-run inning of their own as the home side retook the lead at 4-3 heading into the third frame.
• BU tied the game on a Gavin RBI single in the top of the third. The Dawgs continued to pressure the Skyhawks as a stolen base and a single put runners on the corners with two outs. A failed pickoff attempt allowed another Butler runner to reach home safely as BU retook the lead at 5-4. Butler was able to retire the Skyhawk side in order in the bottom half of the inning, taking the one-run advantage into the fourth.
• After the early offensive explosion from both sides, the fourth and fifth were scoreless as BU took the narrow 5-4 lead into the sixth inning. The Skyhawks generated some offense in the bottom half of the sixth inning, scoring two runs on three hits, which gave UT Martin a 6-5 lead heading into the seventh frame.
• The Skyhawks added another run in the seventh as BU trailed by two heading into the last two innings.
• Crock singled up the middle to start the ninth, but UT Martin secured back-to-back outs as the Skyhawks were an out away from the victory. Gilmore stepped up to the plate for BU and took the first pitch of the at-bat deep to right center field, evening the game at 7-7. Hagen was able to retire the home side in order in the bottom of the ninth, sending the game to extra innings.
• Gavin started the 10th with a leadoff double and made it to third on a wild pitch. Burgess then earned a walk, putting runners on the corners with no outs for the Dawgs. After a play at the plate on a fielder's choice, BU had runners on the corners once again with one out and Ayers at the plate. The junior was behind in the count, 1-2, when he laced a ball down the right field line and over the fence. The three-run homer gave Butler the 10-7 advantage in the top half of the inning. Hagen once again dominated for BU in the bottom of the 10th, retiring the side in order for the second-consecutive inning, as the Bulldogs secured the 10-7 victory.

 
OF NOTE GAME ONE

• The Bulldogs offense tallied three doubles and three home runs in the contest.
• BU earned four walks and had nine RBIs in the victory.
• The duo of Hagen and Buckley combined for seven strikeouts.
• Butler conceded only one walk to the Skyhawks four.

 
BULLDOG HIGHLIGHTS GAME TWO

• Matt Rhoades was sensational for Butler in game two, going 5-for-6 with two doubles, two home runs a single and three RBIs.
• Gavin Gilmore was 2-for-5 with a run scored and a walk.
• Danny Gavin recorded three hits in five plate appearances while chipping in a run scored, an RBI and a walk.
• Jack Zeller was 1-for-1 as he entered the game as a pinch hitter.
• Connor Sackett tallied a hit and two RBIs.
• David Ayers went 2-for-4 with a run scored, an RBI and a walk.

 
HOW IT HAPPENED GAME TWO

• Butler jumped out to an early lead in the second game of the day behind a home run to right-center field from Matt Rhoades. The Skyhawks responded in the bottom half of the inning, scoring three runs off of two hits as the home side took the 3-1 advantage into the second inning.
• The Skyhawk offense continued to put pressure on the Dawgs, scoring two runs in the second, two in the third and one in the fourth as UT Martin held the 8-1 advantage heading into fifth.
• The fifth and sixth innings were scoreless for both sides. The Bulldog offense was able to scratch one across in the seventh behind Rhoades' second homer of the game.
• After a scoreless seventh, the Butler offense exploded for six runs in the eighth, behind five hits and four walks. Back-to-back walks to start the frame started the BU rally and a single from Rhoades opened the flood gates. After a walk and a pop out, BU rattled off four-consecutive singles, tying the game at 8-8. The Skyhawks responded to the BU rally with an RBI single in the bottom half of the eighth, giving the home side the one-run advantage.
• BU was unable to scratch another run across in the top of the ninth, dropping the contest, 9-8.

 
OF NOTE GAME TWO

• Rhoades finished the game with five hits, including two home runs, two doubles and an RBI single
• The two homers from Rhoades marks the first multi-home run game of the season for the junior.
• The duo of Rhoades and Gavin accounted for eight of Butler's 13 hits.

 
UP NEXT
Butler and UT Martin return to action tomorrow for game three of the four-game series. First pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m. ET / 1 p.m. CT. A link to live stats will be available on Butlersports.com.