Michael Hartnagel swings at a pitch. Hartnagel had five hits and drove in four runs against the Wildcats. Jimmy Lafakis/Collegian file photo.
GRAEME WRIGHT | STAFF REPORTER | grwrigh1@butler.edu
BUTLER 13 VILLANOVA 5
It was a lopsided ballgame in the opener of the three-game set. The Bulldogs scored eight runs in the top of the second.
Garrett Christman had another huge day for the Bulldogs as he recorded a 3-for-3 game with two RBI and three runs scored. Harrison Freed went 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored while Connor Dall went 1-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored.
Connor Mitchell got the nod and he went six strong innings. He struck out seven and only walked one. John MacCauley would relieve Mitchell and toss the next 1.2 innings. Landen Haney closed things out for the Bulldogs in the ninth.
Villanova drew first blood as they scored a run in the first and Butler put up a crooked number in the second.
Christman, Freed and Dall started the inning off by loading the bases. Zach Parker tied the game at 1-1 by drawing a walk.
The Bulldogs would bat around as Christman had a two RBI with a single to the right side. Freed would drive in another run to give the Bulldogs an 8-1 lead.
Butler notched two more runs in the fourth. Hartnagel doubled to right, followed by a walk by Christman. Freed was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Dall would draw a walk for an RBI. Zach Parker hit a sac fly to left center which scored Christman, pushing the lead to 10-1.
A wild pitch scored Zach Parker in the seventh. His brother Gehrig would end the scoring with a home run in the ninth.
BUTLER 4 VILLANOVA 3
Saturday afternoon presented a contested ballgame through all nine innings.The Bulldogs squeezed out a victory after a two-run eighth inning.
Butler got on the board in the fifth with two runs. Duncan Hewitt got the start behind the plate and would score the first run of the game. Zach Jarosz scored on a single back up the middle by Jacob Margroff.
A three-run sixth gave Villanova the lead, but the Bulldogs would rally in the eighth. Margroff led off with a walk and Tyler Houston would move him into scoring position after a single.
Gehrig Parker’s sacrifice bunt moved Margoff to third and Houston to second. Michael Hartnagel delivered a double to left center that brought home two runs and gave the Bulldogs the lead.
On the mound, Ryan Pepiot and Josh Walker combined for a complete game. Pepiot tossed 5.1 innings, striking out seven and walking three. Walker closed out the game with 3.2 innings of relief work.
BULLDOGS 5 VILLANOVA 4
The Bulldogs completed the sweep with another one-run victory. Michael Hartnagel was a catalyst, going 2-for-4 with two RBI and a run scored.
Butler jumped out to a 4-0 lead after the top of the sixth. The Wildcats scored two runs in the sixth and seventh. Butler would tack on one more run in the seventh which would be the difference in the ball game.
Garrett Christman got the win on the mound as he tossed six innings of the game. Connor Schultz and Kevin Napoleon would follow in relief. Jack Pilcher closed the game out in the ninth and completed the sweep.
