INDIANAPOLIS – The Butler softball team dropped the second game of the BIG EAST series with Connecticut, losing, 5-0, in the Saturday afternoon contest. The Bulldogs (17-15, 9-5 BIG EAST) outhit the Huskies, 7-4, but stranded 11 runners as UConn (19-22, 11-3 BIG EAST) scored in the first and sixth innings to clinch the series.
The Bulldogs recognized the 2016 Butler softball team prior to and then again after the game. The 2016 team (28-24, 9-7 BIG EAST) was the first to win a BIG EAST Championship, defeating DePaul and St. John's to automatically qualify for the NCAA Tournament. Butler competed in the NCAA Regional in Lexington, Kentucky, facing both Kentucky and Illinois. The 2016 team currently ranks fourth all-time with 71 stolen bases and seventh all-time with 216 runs scored and 184 RBIs.
The Huskies scored on a sacrifice fly in the opening inning, and the 1-0 lead held through five complete.
In the third inning, Butler loaded the bases with two outs but could not get a tying run across. One inning later, the Bulldogs again loaded the bases, this time with only one out. The UConn pitching held, though, as two successive batters struck out.
In the sixth, the Huskies scored four runs on two hits, two walks, and an error.
Rylyn Dyer (3-3) started in the circle for Butler, pitched into the sixth inning, and took the loss. In 5.1 innings she allowed five runs (four earned) on four hits and four walks with two strikeouts.
Maren Berger provided relief and finished the game, retiring all five batters she faced and striking out one.
Bulldog Bits
- Kieli Ryan's double was her seventh this season and the 20th of her career.
- Rachel Hunt made her first collegiate start in the game, playing in left field.
Up Next
Butler and UConn will play the third and final game of the BIG EAST series on Sunday, April 11. First pitch has been re-scheduled to 11 a.m.
