Harrison Freed heads for home plate. Freed hit three home runs in Butler’s first series of the season. Jimmy Lafakis/Collegian file photo. 

DREW SANDIFER | STAFF REPORTER | dsandife@butler.edu

Butler baseball began this season in the loss column but rebounded to take the series from the Rider Broncs in Lexington, South Carolina, this past weekend.

In Game 1 of the series, Ryan Pepiot gave up four earned runs in 4 2/3 innings and Rider was up 7-1 before the fifth inning was all said and done. It proved to be too much of a hole for the Bulldogs to overcome as they fell, 9-4.

Butler’s Kyle Smith got his first hit as a Bulldog with a triple in the first inning. He would score the first run of the season later on in the inning via an RBI groundout from Harrison Freed.

Feb. 16 proved to be a better day for the Bulldogs, as they started off with a 14-3 win over the Broncs.

Smith picked up where he left off, going 3-for-5 with five RBI’s and three runs scored. Harrison Freed hit two home runs, while Andy Bennett and Greg Gilbert also had multi-RBI games.

Sam Hubbe got his first win of the 2019 season.

Game Two went just as well for the Bulldogs as they defeated Rider in the rubber match, 9-2.

Butler’s Freed hit another home run, pushing his early season total to three. Gilbert had three hits, and four other Butler players had two.

Connor Schultz gave up two runs in the first frame, but shut Rider down in the next four, leaving the mound to Jack Myers, who struck out five over three innings. Closer Jack Pilcher appeared in his first game this season.

The Bulldogs leave South Carolina with a 2-1 record and will return to action in New Orleans on Feb. 22 with a game against Rutgers. The Bulldogs will also face Chicago State and host University of New Orleans before leaving town.

Follow Drew on Twitter: @drew_sandifer