Butler Wins Final Game At APSU Classic

CLARKSVILLE, TENN. -- Sophomore Jessica Huey scored the go-ahead run in the top of the seventh inning and freshman Jenny Esparza blanked the home team in the bottom of the final frame to lift Butler to a 4-3 victory over Tennessee State in the final game of the Austin Peay Classic on Sunday, Feb. 21.  The win gave the Bulldogs a 3-2 record in the tournament.

Huey, who led the Bulldogs with seven hits in the tournament, stroked a two-out triple to right field and scored on a throwing error to break a 3-3 deadlock.  It was her second hit of the game and her second run scored.

Esparza retired the first two batters she faced in the bottom of the seventh inning, before surrendering a walk.  The first-year pitcher then struck out Tamara Perkins for the final out and the Butler win.  It was her first collegiate save.

Tennessee State jumped in front in the game with two runs in the first inning.  But the Bulldogs battled back to with runs in the second and third innings to tie the game.  Sophomore Erin Falkenberry hit a solo home run in the second, and senior Bridget Paine had a run-scoring single in the third.

Butler took a brief lead in the top of the fifth inning on Paine’s second run-scoring single, but Tennessee State tied the game in the bottom of the inning.

Huey and Paine each had two hits in the game for the Bulldogs, who had just six hits as a team.  Jennifer Chasteen, who pitched four innings in the game picked up her second victory of the tournament.

The Bulldogs will take a two-week break before heading to Orlando, Florida to begin play in the week-long Rebel Games.