The Butler softball team huddles between innings. Photo from Collegian archives.
JIMMY LAFAKIS | STAFF REPORTER | jlafakis@butler.edu
The Butler University softball team endured a tough weekend in Edwardsville, Illinois. Butler dropped all four of their contests to fellow Midwest teams March 17-19.
Butler fell to 11-15 on the season after the rough weekend.
The March 17 action saw Butler take a 6-0 loss to the University of Toledo. Toledo scored in five of its six innings to post the win, while redshirt sophomore infielder Maggie MacBeth and sophomore outfielder Jenna Foreman had Butler’s two hits.
Freshman pitcher Gabbi Schnaiter allowed four runs in five innings. Schnaiter was charged with the loss.
Butler dropped a 5-1 decision to Northern Kentucky University and a 7-1 decision to Ball State University on March 18. Northern Kentucky scored two runs in both the fifth and sixth innings to seal the victory. Junior outfielder Sarah Dixon singled in sophomore catcher Sammy Andersen for Butler’s lone run, while freshman outfielder Alyssa Garcia clubbed two of the Bulldogs’ seven hits.
Ball State scored four runs in the first and added three runs in the sixth, while Dixon added another RBI in the seventh inning. Sophomore infielder/pitcher Kaitlin Doud went the distance, allowing only three earned runs to the MAC foe. MacBeth added two hits for Butler.
Sunday’s game was the closest decision of the weekend. Butler lost to Toledo 4-3. Doud pitched 5.1 innings and allowed only one unearned run. Dixon smashed a solo home run in the first inning.
Sophomore infielder Cheyenne Thompson hit an RBI double in the third inning, while Andersen added an RBI single in sixth. Freshman utility player Madi Christiansen had two of Butler’s seven hits.
“We learned from our struggles and mistakes from earlier in the weekend,” Foreman said. “We came into our last game playing much better and competing.”
The Bulldogs return to action March 21 to face Ball State once again in Muncie. Butler will open the home portion of its schedule this weekend against conference rival DePaul University.
“Our goal this week is practicing with a lot of focus,” Foreman said.
