INDIANAPOLIS – The Butler softball team trailed in the middle of the fifth inning but rallied to defeat Dayton, 7-6, in the final non-conference contest of the season. The visiting Flyers (21-19), out of the A-10 Conference, were down three runs after three full innings but scored four in the fourth and one in the top of the fifth to take a one-run lead. The Bulldogs (20-17) scored one in the bottom of the fifth to tie the game, and two innings later,
Kendall Graves hit a walk-off double to secure the victory.
Butler scored four runs in the first inning on three walks and a pair of singles. The Bulldogs added a fifth run in the second on a
Makena Alexander RBI single, and the 5-1 lead held through three complete.
Down 6-5 in the fifth, Graves drew a bases-loaded walk for the Bulldogs to tie the game at six.
In the final inning,
Kayla Preiss and
Olivia Roberts each drew walks to set up the dramatic walk-off hit from Graves, which came with two outs already in the book.
Kate Murray (3.1-IP, 4R, 3ER, 6H, 4BB, K) started in the circle for Butler and lasted into the fourth.
Maren Berger provided relief and picked up the win. In 3.2 innings, she allowed two runs (one earned) on five hits and had one strikeout.
Bulldog Bits
- The double for Graves was her fifth this season.
- The win in the circle for Berger was her second of the season.
Up Next
Butler travels to DePaul for a BIG EAST series from Friday-Sunday, April 24-26.
