Bulldogs Fall To No. 2 Wright State

CLEVELAND, OHIO -- Sixth-seeded Butler picked up the pace on offense, but slipped on defense and wound up falling to No. 2 Wright State, 11-9, in the second round of the 2010 Horizon League Softball Championship at Viking Field on Thursday (May 13).

The Bulldogs (36-18) took advantage of four Wright State errors to jump out to a 7-0 lead after two innings.  Butler scored three runs on two hits and three Wright State errors in the first inning and then added four more runs on two hits in the second inning.  Freshman Jenny Esparza sparked the second inning rally with a two-run double.

But Wright State (27-27-1) stormed right back with four runs off of Butler starter Breanna Fisher in the third inning.  The Raiders mounted a two-out rally with three hits, a walk and a Butler error.

The Raider then took control with seven runs in the fourth inning, aided by four Butler errors.  Briauna Birl had a two-run single in the rally and Kristen Bradshaw added a two-run triple, her second hit of the inning.  All seven Wright State runs were unearned.

Butler did close the margin to two on a two-run, home run to left field by senior Annie Dolan in the fifth inning, but Wright State blanked the Bulldogs over the final two innings to advance in the winners bracket.

The Bulldogs pounded out nine hits in the game, including two each by Bridget Paine and Esparza.  The nine hits were the most by the Bulldogs since April 21, when they recorded 11 hits against Wright State.

Butler will have to work its way back through the consolation bracket in the double-elimination tournament.  The Bulldogs will face Green Bay at 12 noon on Friday (May 14) in an elimination contest.