Last year, the brothers, from Miami, Fla., started playing baseball together for the first time since Marcos’ sophomore year of high school.

“We had a great year that year, and we both played very well,” Lucas said. “We went deep into the playoffs, and we were like, ‘Man, if we can do this again for college, we’ll do it.’”

Lucas, a senior at Butler, played at Saint Louis University his first two collegiate years and jumped at the opportunity to transfer to Butler and play with his brother.

“Ever since we were little, we wanted to play college baseball together,” Lucas Calderon said. “We talked to (Butler) Coach (Steve) Farley over the phone, and he seemed like a good guy, and he gave us the opportunity to play.”

The elder Calderon sat out his junior season, giving him the opportunity to watch his brother play his freshman season.

In 2012, they played together for Butler, as well as for the Licking County Settlers of the Great Lakes Summer Collegiate League.

Lucas said he was fortunate to be able to guide his brother through his freshman year.

“Freshman year is always a tough transition, especially moving from Florida to the Midwest,” Lucas said. “That was pretty cool to see him and how he developed through his freshman year.”

Marcos said the first time he heard about Butler was when he was watching Butler’s basketball team play in the Final Four while on a travel baseball trip in high school.

“A couple weeks later, I got in contact with these coaches, and they wanted to see if I could bring my talents here to Indianapolis,” he said.

He said they asked him and his brother about the opportunity to play together, and it was something they couldn’t pass up.

Junior infielder and teammate Marco Caponi has one word to describe the brothers: “goofballs.”

“That’s about the best way I can describe them,” Caponi said. “They’re always laughing and having a good time, and they’re awesome to be around.”

Caponi said the brothers are always competing and trying to outdo each other, but they also pull for each other to do well.

“I have a younger brother, so I’m also jealous of these guys,” Caponi said.

Caponi said it’s fun to see them play together and have a good time.

“Sometimes, you’ll hear Spanish every now and again,” Caponi said. “They’ll crack jokes, and nobody knows what they’re saying, but they obviously do.”

Marcos said sometimes they talk to each other in Spanish on the field, giving them an extra connection.

“We don’t have to give each other the normal baseball signs,” Marcos said. “We speak in a coded language, so that’s pretty cool.”

Lucas said in one game over the summer, he was standing on second base and saw the catcher calling for a curve ball. He relayed that in Spanish to his brother, and he was able to get an RBI.

“Everyone in the dugout was asking what I was yelling that for, and I said, ‘I was giving him the pitches,’” he said.

Lucas said he and his brother feed off each other’s success and make it into a competition.

“He’s (Marcos) our lead-off hitter, and when he gets a hit, I have to wait a few batters, and I’m like, ‘I’ve got to get a hit too,’” Lucas said. “I can’t let him get more hits than me.”

Since starting 10-6, the Bulldogs have dropped to 13-15. But Lucas said playing with his brother is fun whether they’re winning or losing, but that winning adds even more.

“We won earlier in the season, and we’re in a little bit of a funk right now, and hopefully, we’ll break out of it,” Marcos said. “But it should be fun the rest of the year too.”

Butler senior pitcher Chase Byerly is in the running for the Lowes’ Senior CLASS Award.

The award is an acronym for “Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School.” Candidates must be NCAA Division I seniors and qualify in the four C’s: community, classroom, character and competition.

Byerly is one of 30 finalists. He is among three finalists from the Atlantic 10 Conference, including Charlotte infielder Shane Basen and Rhode Island utility man Mike Le Bel.

The Senior CLASS Award was founded in 2001 in a partnership between Premiere Sports Management and Lowes’. The award is given to athletes in 10 different sports.

Byerly’s nomination follows three straight nominations for Butler basketball players.

Senior Andrew Smith is a nominee for this year’s basketball award, which will be announced during the Final Four in Atlanta. Ronald Nored was nominated last year for the Bulldogs, and Matt Howard the year before.

No Bulldog has ever won the award, but Byerly believes he has a good shot of doing so this year.

“I’m a really competitive guy, so I think I have a pretty good shot at it,” Byerly said. “I’ve done pretty well this season so far.”

Building off last season when he set the school’s single-season saves record with 10, Byerly is already off to a hot start. His ERA is 2.55 and he has with 16 strikeouts.

Byerly completed a rare feat, picking up three saves in a single series last weekend at Virginia Commonwealth University, pushing his season total to four.

Off the field, Byerly impresses in other ways. He has a 3.98 GPA as a business and finance double major.

Smith, also a business major, said he knows Byerly well and that he is a hard worker.

“I know he works extremely hard,” Smith said. “He’s a very talented individual on and off the field.”

On top of doing well in class, Byerly interned at Eli Lilly last summer and Smith said he always shows dedication.

“He’s one of the hardest-working people I know,” Smith said. “He’s always top of the class, he’s a great presenter, he’s a great speaker.

Byerly said it is tough to be involved on campus while being on the baseball team, but he does make an effort.

“It’s tough to hold a leadership position with any organization on campus, but I am involved,” Byerly said.

Byerly is a member of the Delta Tau Delta fraternity. He is also part of the Dawg Pound and various honor societies on campus.

Butler baseball coach Steve Farley said Byerly has made large strides evolving from a walk-on to a leader.

“He started as a walk-on and took on that role,” Farley said. “Now he’s possibly one of the best relief pitchers in the nation.”

Farley had Byerly convert to a side-arm release early on in his career, which has made him tough to hit.

Farley said he thinks Byerly is deserving of the nomination.

“Chase is one of the best guys I’ve ever coached,” Farley said. “He’s like another coach in the dugout. Everything is well deserved.”

The Butler baseball team opened its first and only season in the Atlantic 10 Conference with a sweep of VCU.

The Bulldogs (11-10, 3-0 A-10) won their first A-10 game on Friday 6-4.  On Saturday, Butler won the first game of a double-header 4-3 and the second game 7-4, completing a sweep of the Rams (12-8, 0-3).

Butler didn’t trail the entire weekend.

Senior infielder Lucas Calderon led the way at the plate over the weekend for the Bulldogs, going 6-for-11 with six RBIs. Sophomore Michael Fries went 6-for-15 with two RBIs.

On Friday, sophomore starter Eric Stout got the win on the mound. Senior Kyle Kramp improved his pitching record to 4-0 in game one of Saturday’s twin bill, while senior Billy Laing improved to 1-1 in game two.

Senior CLASS Award nominee Chase Byerly picked up three straight saves, pushing his total to four on the season. Byerly was named co-Atlantic 10 Pitcher of the Week for the rare feat.

“It’s pretty rare that a pitcher even has the opportunity to save three games in a conference series,” Byerly said. “But my arm felt great, and we kept scoring runs, and I got that opportunity.

“It was the best pitching weekend of my life.”

Weather ended up causing a delay in the team’s flight back to Indy. Its flight Sunday night was delayed, and 28 players were forced to take five separate flights throughout the day Monday. The last five players arrived in Indianapolis around midnight.

Butler coach Steve Farley said he is happy with his team’s performance against the preseason conference favorite.

“I’m proud of our guys for winning three games in a Double-A ballpark against a good team,” Farley said.

The series was played at The Diamond, home of the Richmond Flying Squirrels, an Atlanta Braves affiliate.

Snow postponed yesterday’s home game against Wabash. The Bulldogs travel to St. Bonaventure (5-11, 0-3) Friday to continue conference play. The Bulldogs have yet to play a home game this season.

Unlike baseball and softball teams down south, Butler’s squads do not have the luxury of being outside year-round.

Instead, they are confined to the Butler Bubble for the majority of the offseason and the beginning of their regular seasons.

“I like to compare it to coach Stevens having to practice on a golf course and then going to play his first basketball game,” softball coach Scott Hall said. “There is only so much we can do.”

To compensate for the weather constrictions, the teams head south every year.

Traveling allows the teams to face a variety of opponents, though the venture is not without its drawbacks.

With each trip comes expenses for the teams: hotels, food and the occasional load of laundry.

Another inevitable problem with offseason travel is the strain it puts on the athletes to keep up with their schoolwork.

Senior outfielder Jack Dillon, who started 29 games last season, said he has to make personal adjustments to accommodate for the travel season.

“It’s hard to maintain what I do in the offseason in terms of grades,” Dillon said. “I’ve learned to manage my time wisely and be more productive when I do have the time to sit down and work on academics.”

This effort does not go unnoticed by coaches.

Baseball coach Steve Farley said he admires his team’s determination in the offseason.

“I think our guys work even harder on their academics during the spring semester because they know they will be missing some classes due to travel,” Farley said.

Despite the drawbacks of traveling down south, the advantages for both teams make them worthwhile in preparing for their upcoming seasons.

In addition to playing outside, another positive about traveling south is facing some of the better teams in the country.

“While I’ve coached at Butler, we’ve played Top 10 teams like South Carolina, Vanderbilt, Florida State, Alabama, North Carolina, Fresno State,” Farley said, “and now this year, the defending national champs, University of Arizona.”

This gives each athlete on the Butler teams a great experience the programs hope will translate into success during conference play.

“I can’t see anything bad with touring the southern portion of our country,” Dillon said.

The players certainly enjoy the experience of playing great teams, and the coaches said they don’t mind escaping into nice, warm weather down south.

The softball team started its season playing Eastern Michigan at Georgia Tech last Friday while the baseball team will start its season Friday at Georgia State.

The Butler baseball team is about to open its season and it will be the last go for 10 seniors.

In addition to gearing up for their last collegiate season, they are making sure those after them will have great facilities as they move forward.

“We talk about it all the time,” senior catcher Radley Haddad said. “Each class coming through Butler University is getting the best.”

Haddad said the facilities continue to improve because of the fundraising efforts put forth by the team each year.

These improvements have been happening for the last five years, Haddad said.

“We have one of the better facilities in Indiana at this point now,” Haddad said, “compared to a high school field or worse before I got here.”

Before the 2012 season, the team raised between $100,000 and $120,000, coach Steve Farley said.

That money was used for new dugouts, a new brick wall behind home plate, new backstop netting, a new patio seating area and new walkways, among other things.

“In order to get better as a team, we need better facilities,” senior first baseman Jimmy Risi said.

Risi said the team’s biggest effort comes from letter writing. Each player sends a letter and a flyer to 10 family members or friends asking for donations, and over the past few years that has been working well.

Farley did not have exact numbers for this year’s effort, but the biggest addition will be a new outfield fence and batter’s eye.

A navy blue fence will replace the old royal blue fence. The batter’s eye helps hitters see the ball better and will feature banners and Butler logos, Farley said.

“The old daycare center that’s out there in center field at Butler is kind of distracting,” Farley said. “The roof is kind of light colored, so we will cover it up.”

Farley said it would make the ballpark more attractive.

“I think it will give the ballpark a homier and closed feel,” Farley said.

The team opens its inaugural Atlantic 10 season next weekend with a non-conference series at Georgia State.

“I think we are all really excited for the switch to the Atlantic 10,” Risi said. “Coach Farley says it could be the toughest season we’ve ever had, but we’ve been working a lot harder in the weight room over the offseason than last year.”

The Bulldogs finished 22-34 overall last year and 10-20 in their final season in the Horizon League.

The A-10 is considered to be a step up in the competition, as writers have predicted Butler to finish 14th in the 15-team league.

“The scouting report is, be ready every weekend because everybody can beat you, and you can beat everyone too,” Farley said.

The predicted top four teams are Saint Louis, Rhode Island, VCU and Charlotte.

With the recent renovations, Farley expects Butler’s facilities to be around the middle to upper half of those at A-10 schools.

The Bulldogs play 10 road games before opening a three-game series at home against IPFW on March 8.

Anyone who has been by the Butler baseball or softball fields can attest to how much they have improved over the past two years.

Both fields were renovated with new bleachers, backstop walls and nets, bullpens, cages, wall padding , dugouts and improved playing surfaces. Additionally an indoor hitting facility was built.

A large part of those changes are a result of fundraising, which helps every athletic team at Butler.

Fundraising is done several ways at Butler.

Kyle Smith, assistant director of the Bulldog Club, describes the club as being “the umbrella” for all fundraising activities.

Membership to the Bulldog Club can be given to anyone, whether he or she gives $1 million or just $1.

In addition to the Bulldog Club, each team has its own individual gift fund.

“If someone wants to come in and give to soccer or volleyball, they can do that, and we have a lot of people that do that,” Smith said.

Fundraising comes into play if a team wants to do a project that is not approved by its budget.

Examples of this are the baseball and softball facilities.

“The facility upgrades have been strictly from money that has been in teams gift funds and help from the Bulldog Club,” Smith said.

Money that is given to a specific team’s fund is also used for replacing or improving equipment, improving travel and food accommodations and improving facilities.

Athletic coaches also work with the Bulldog Club to reach out to former players and current or former donors.

Fundraising by coaches was not always available for teams.

When Steve Farley, coach of the baseball team, arrived in the early ‘90s, the university did not allow coaches to fundraise.

When Farley first started out fundraising, he sent out letters in the fall and spring to all his former alumni to tell them how the team would benefit from a donation.

Upon sending out his initial letter, “lots of nice donations came in,” Farley said.

For the past few years, the players have been sending out letters to potential donors, usually people back in their hometowns. Farley said this money goes toward the  team’s spring break trip to Arizona.

Last year, Bob Haddad, father of senior baseball catcher Radley Haddad, played a big part in the remodeling of Bulldog Park.

Haddad was able to put together a plan to help with the remodeling process, which included a new backstop, new patios and new dugouts. With his connections, he was able to save the team some money on bricks, concrete and other materials.

The volleyball team, similarly to baseball, has help from its alumni with raising money. Volleyball also does an online auction to generate funds, coach Sharon Clark said.

Fortunately, fundraising has not been impacted by the economy. Smith said total Bulldog Club and team athletic funds have had a 98 percent increase over the past five years.

Additionally, the Bulldog Club in each of the past two years has amassed more than 2,700 donors, a feat that has never been accomplished before. In prior years, the Bulldog Club did not even reach 2,000 members.

Over the past five years, total Bulldog Club membership has increased by 63 percent.

“Now, we’re probably as good as we’ve ever been,” Farley said. “If you talk to our seniors, they would say (the field) is as nice as it’s ever been down there.”

While fundraising and Bulldog Club memberships are at an all-time high, Smith believes that the switch to the Atlantic 10 Conference will help fundraising even more at Butler.

“It’s hard to get a defined reason why someone gives,” Smith said. “But the A-10 is obviously going to generate excitement, which can only benefit fundraising.”

Butler University athletics will face a change in competition following its the early departure from the Horizon League for the Atlantic 10 Conference.

They also expect to rise to the occasion.

Administrators said they feel that Butler teams will still be top competitors in the A-10, as they were in the Horizon League for many years.

“With all of the aspects in mind, we came to the conclusion collectively that it was the best move for everyone,” athletic director Barry Collier said.

The A-10 is quickly becoming known as the premier mid-major conference in men’s college basketball.

Tom Crowley, associate athletic director for internal affairs, said the men’s basketball team will compete night in and night out, but he expects other Bulldog teams to perform well.

“We can’t know for sure until it happens, but we believe all of our teams can compete in this league at a high level,” Crowley said.

The A-10 consistently sends multiple teams to the NCAA men’s basketball tournament, including four last season. But basketball is not the only competitive sport. The conference had 26 postseason appearances in different sports in 2011-12 seasons.

Highlighting postseason appearances was Charlotte’s national runner-up finish in men’s soccer and the St. Bonaventure women’s basketball team making the Sweet Sixteen. Xavier’s men’s basketball team also made the Sweet Sixteen in the basketball tournament, further solidifying its prominence in the Midwest.

Five of the members in the A-10 conference used to be in the former Midwestern Collegiate Conference with Butler. LaSalle and Duquesne had short stints in the conference while Xavier, St. Louis and Dayton were more long-term.

Collier said this will help form significant regional rivalries and solidify the current rivalry with Xavier.

“Clearly the Xavier game has been of national interest to ESPN and college basketball and is probably the reason that most people see that as a big rivalry,” he said.

Tom Eiser, an associate athletic director at Xavier, said proximity itself helps the rivalry.

Eiser expects the A-10 to remain competitive from top to bottom in many sports.

Bernadette McGlade, A-10 commissioner, said the rivalry between Butler and Xavier is significant but that they are not the only two teams that will be competitive.

“The beauty of this league is that, overtime, you will see new rivalries develop as the teams become familiar,” McGlade said.

Butler baseball coach Steve Farley expects his team to continue to compete in the new league. He said they don’t know a lot about the new East-Coast teams, but scouts are working on preparing the team.

Farley said their goal is to finish in the top seven of 13 teams and make the conference tournament.

The A-10 will have 16 teams this year before returning to a 14-team league in 2013-14 with the departure of Temple and Charlotte.

Switching positions in sports is not always the easiest thing to do.

An individual switching the way he or she plays a sport is even more difficult.

Collegian file photo

Butler junior pitcher Chase Byerly has done the latter for the baseball team this season by changing his throwing motion.

During Byerly’s freshman season, Butler coach Steve Farley asked him to switch from his traditional overhand pitching style to the “submarine” style.

This style of throwing has a pitcher drop his arm and release the ball underhand and just above the ground.

“That just opened up a lot of doors for me and gave me some good opportunities to come in and make an impact right away as a freshman,” Byerly said.

Byerly has handled both the switch in mechanics and the pressure-packed role of closer well with the Bulldogs.

This was put on display when he broke two Butler saves records this year.

Byerly broke the school’s previous single-season record of eight earlier this month with his ninth save of the season in a win against Ball State on April 10.

He also surpassed the previous Butler career-high saves record of 12 and currently sits at 13.

With this unique pitching style, Byerly said he pitches for contact and relies on his infielders to make the plays.

“This submarine-style delivery causes batters to hit a lot of ground balls,” Farley said. “Chase throws a lot of strikes, and he is very tough to hit.”

Byerly said he traded velocity for movement with his new delivery. In high school, he said he used to overpower hitters and record many strikeouts, but now he pitches for contact.

His opponents have a .280 batting average against him, and he has not allowed any home runs.

Byerly said the change initially took a toll on his elbow and hips, but he was able to adjust to it.

“It’s been really effective,” Byerly said, “and I’ve been really thankful and grateful to coach Farley for giving me that chance.”

Last summer, Byerly played for the Sliders, a Prospect League team out of Slippery Rock, Pa. He won the relief pitcher of the year award in the league.

“That’s really where my closing development kind of picked up,” Byerly said.

Byerly was teammates with Butler junior catcher Radley Haddad in the league, and he said it was important in developing their relationship at the collegiate level.

“I need to be a little more focused, because the ball is coming from a different place,” Byerly said.

Byerly and Haddad were roommates while playing for the Sliders, and Haddad said they “literally spent every hour of the summer together.”

Haddad calls Byerly “not your typical closer,” because he doesn’t throw hard and over the top, making him much more difficult for opponents to get a hit off of.

“Not only is it physically tough to hit that pitch, but it’s mentally tough too,” Haddad said.

Byerly will look to add to his climbing saves total during the remainder of the Bulldogs’ eight-game road trip.

He will get his first shot at grabbing his 14th career save against the University of Indianapolis today.

“I’m really proud of him,” Haddad said of Byerly holding the saves record. “It couldn’t have happened to a better dude.”

As the spring sports season begins to wind down, many teams are already beginning to prepare for their next season.

The football team had its annual blue and white scrimmage, the men’s soccer team had its spring exhibition matches, and five teams have announced additions to their rosters for next year.

Let’s take a look forward and see how some of Butler’s teams will be changing for the 2012-13 school year.

MEN’S BASKETBALL

The men’s basketball team finished the 2011-12 season with a 22-15 record, averaging 40.8 percent shooting from the field and 28.1 percent shooting from beyond the arc. The Bulldogs were ranked eighth and 10th in the Horizon League in those categories, respectively.

The team has a chance to improve with the additions of senior guard and transfer Rotnei Clarke and incoming freshman guard Kellen Dunham.

In three seasons at Arkansas, Clarke averaged more than 15 points per game and shot nearly 44 percent from 3-point range.

Dunham averaged more than 29 points during his senior season at Pendleton Heights High School.

The Bulldogs will also be adding guard Devontae Morgan from Tampa, Fla., and guard Chris Harrison-Docks from Okemos, Mich.

Morgan led his high school team to a state championship last season, averaging more than 15 points and six rebounds per game.

Harrison-Docks averaged 21 points and five steals per game in his senior season.

The team will lose only two players—guard Ronald Nored and forward Garrett Butcher.

Butler will have to make up for the loss of Nored’s defensive prowess, as well as the experience and leadership provided by the pair.

Clarke and seniors Emerson Kampen, Chase Stigall and Andrew Smith will likely be asked to step up and fill those roles.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

The women’s basketball team concluded its 2011-12 season with a 13-17 record and said goodbye to two senior guards—Devin Brierly and Kaley May.

Brierly was the only Bulldog to start in all 30 of the team’s games. She recorded more than 32 minutes of playing time per game, averaging 11 points per game.

Sophomore center Sarah Hamm is the only returning player to average more than 10 points per game last season.

Hamm will be joined by sophomore guard Jenna Cobb, freshman forward Hayley Howard and freshman guard Hannah Douglas, who all played key roles on the team last season.

Butler will also be adding four incoming freshman—forward Katie Brewer from Indianapolis, guard Blaire Langlois from Carmel, guard Lexus Murry from Indianapolis and forward-center Olivia Wrencher from West Chester, Ohio.

Brewer is a versatile player who has the ability to knock down three-pointers and battle down low.

Langlois has deep range on her jump shot but also has the ability to make plays with her passing.

Murry averaged more than 22 points per game during her senior season and can also be effective on the defensive end, where she averaged 3.5 steals per game.

Wrencher will bring size to the Bulldogs that will complement the play of Hamm and Howard under the basket.

SOFTBALL

The softball team will lose seven seniors at the conclusion of its current season, including four-year starting outfielder and third baseman Lauren McNulty, Butler’s home run record-holding first baseman Erin Falkenberry and catcher Mallory Winters.

Despite this, coach Scott Hall has five incoming players who could make an immediate impact on the program.

Alex Kotter, a shortstop from Vincennes Lincoln High School, had a .615 career batting average and was an Indiana first team All-State pick.

Chelsea Conover, an outfielder from Brownsburg, led her high school team in stolen bases, runs scored and on-base percentage for three years.

Audrey East is a utility player from New Palestine High School. East is one of the best power hitters in Indiana and boasted a .902 slugging percentage, eight home runs and 47 RBIs last season.

Taylor Lockwood, a pitcher from Southport High School, has good control and will be a solid addition to the pitching staff.

The same could be said for Kristin Gutierrez, a left-handed power pitcher from Highlands Ranch High School in Colorado.

Gutierrez, a 2011 Triple Crown All-American honoree, is a dual threat with her pitching and hitting. She led her conference with 127 strikeouts and recorded a .542 batting average.

The success of the pitching recruits could be key with the loss of senior pitcher Breanna Fisher and injuries to junior pitcher Jenny Esparza this season.

BASEBALL

The baseball team will add four players who could have an immediate impact next season.

Nick Bartolone is a left-handed outfielder from Harrison High School. Coach Steve Farley said he expects Bartolone to compete for position in the outfield next year.

Chris Marras, a catcher from Vernon Hills, Ill., will get the chance to work with two fifth-year senior catchers, Radley Haddad and Nick Hladek.

Nick Saldutti is a power-hitting first baseman from Westfield High School. He hit .477 with a .571 on-base percentage in his junior season.

Drew Small is a utility player from Zionsville. He was an All-State honorable mention.

His versatility and speed will help him compete for a spot in the outfield, especially with the loss of senior outfielder Mike Hoscheit.

The Bulldogs will also lose pitchers Dom Silvestri, Mike Hernandez, Brad Schnitzer, Brian Padove and Ryan Salvino, as well as senior infielder Griffin Richeson.

VOLLEYBALL

The volleyball team is returning eight players who played in at least 50 sets last year and lost only one senior in Maureen Bamiro.

Bamiro, a former middle blocker, finished with the second-best attack percentage in Butler history and sixth all-time in kills and kills per set.

Last season, she was voted All-Horizon League.

The Bulldogs will return sophomore middle blocker Maggie Harbison, who will likely be a key contributor after being voted All-Horizon League last season.

Butler will also add two transfer students.

Freshman Erica Stahl, a transfer from Cincinnati, will be an addition to the middle blocker position.

Stahl only has four sets of collegiate experience under her belt but was named among the top high school volleyball players by the Under Armour Watch list in 2010.

Sophomore Morgan Peterson, a setter from Middle Tennessee State, will have two years of eligibility with the Bulldogs.

She averaged 8.58 assists and 1.41 digs per set last season.

The Butler baseball team put together one of its best strings of pitching so far this season.

But Valparaiso threw even better and came away with a three-game series sweep over the weekend.

On Sunday, the Bulldogs (19-21, 7-11) saw the Crusaders (18-20, 12-6) tally two runs in the bottom of the ninth inning to come away with a 3-2 victory.

The contest was the second game of a doubleheader.

“The cold, windy conditions made it very challenging for both teams,” Butler coach Steve Farley said.

Valparaiso freshman shortstop Spencer Mahoney drove in the game-winning run on a bases-loaded walk.

Junior third baseman Elliott Martin drove in the Crusaders’ first ninth-inning run with a single.

Junior pitcher Chase Byerly allowed both runs, which were unearned, and suffered the loss. Butler got out to an early lead with an RBI single from junior first baseman Jimmy Risi.

Freshman pitcher Eric Stout started for the Bulldogs and gave up one run over five innings, tallying three strikeouts.

Stout was able to get out of a fifth-inning bases loaded jam without any damage done before turning things over to Byerly.

The Bulldogs added another run in the fifth inning on a home run by sophomore centerfielder Marcos Calderon.

Mahoney, Martin and senior catcher Billy Cribbs led the Crusaders, putting up one RBI apiece in the nightcap.

The day’s first game saw another pitchers’ duel, with Valparaiso winning 1-0.

Butler senior pitcher Brad Schnitzer pitched all eight innings for the Bulldogs, allowing one earned run, five hits and one walk.

The run came on a second-inning RBI single by senior right fielder Steven Scoby.

Junior designated hitter Pat Gelwicks led Butler with three of the team’s four hits. Gelwicks also found himself in scoring position three times, but the Bulldogs could not capitalize.

Crusaders senior pitcher Kevin Wild tossed a complete game shutout, allowing three walks and striking out five in addition to the four hits allowed.

On Friday, Butler senior pitcher Dom Silvestri gave up four earned runs in the first inning. It proved to be too much for the Bulldogs to overcome, as Valparaiso walked away with a 4-2 win. Silvestri silenced the Crusaders for the next six innings, but Butler could only manage two runs on four hits.

Silvestri struck out four, walked two and gave up six hits in his seven innings of work.

Butler will face the University of Indianapolis this afternoon before three games against Horizon League-leading Wright State this weekend.

“A lot of people feel outside of the league like Wright State is so much better and that they’re just going to run through the conference tournament,” Byerly said. “We want to send them a message this weekend and let them know that’s not the case.”