PROVIDENCE, R.I. — An inside the park home run from sophomore Sydra Seville in the sixth and a two-RBI two hit day from freshman Sydney Potter guided the Bluejay softball team to a 4-2 victory over Butler in the first round of the BIG EAST Tournament Presented by Jeep on Wednesday at Glay Field in Providence, R.I.
The victory advances the Bluejays into the winners’ bracket of the tournament, improving to 34-20 on the year, while Butler fell to 22-28 overall. The Bluejay will now take on No. 2 seeded UConn on Thursday afternoon at 3 p.m. CT.
After a pair of scoreless frames to open the game, Butler placed the first dent on the scoreboard in the top half of the third, grabbing a 1-0 lead. Kieli Ryan opened the frame with a four-pitch walk before advancing to second on a bunt single from Sydney Carter. Following a sacrifice bunt from Olivia Moxley that moved the runners to second and third, Cate Lehner delivered an RBI single through the left side to give the Bulldogs an early advantage.
Butler would add to its lead in the top half of the fourth when Monique Hoosen blasted her team-leading 12thhome run of the season to extend the lead to 2-0.
The Bluejays countered with a pair of runs in the bottom half of the fourth to level the contest at 2-2. Back-to-back two-out singles from sophomore Ella Dalton and junior Sydra Seville set the tone for the Jays, before a four-pitch walk by Erika Perez loaded the bases. Pinch hitter Sydney Potter then delivered a single up the middle, scoring Dalton and Seville to tie the game at 2-2. Potter’s two-out single was her first base hit since collecting a single against Villanova on April 6.
Following a nearly four hour weather delay, the Bluejays bats ignited as Seville rocketed a hit into the left center field gap just out of the diving reach of the Bulldogs left fielder. With the ball bouncing into center field, Seville raced around the bases for the Bluejays first inside the park home run since April 14, 2022, and the Jays first home run in the BIG EAST Tournament to claim their first lead of the game at 3-2.
Not done yet, the Bluejays added another run to the tally when Perez doubled into the right centerfield gap, before an RBI double from Potter off the right center field wall gave CU a 4-2 edge.
Sophomore Natalia Puchino, the Unanimous BIG EAST Pitcher of the Year, set the Bulldogs down in the seventh to secure her 25th victory of the season and the Jays second ever win in the BIG EAST Softball Championships.
Potter led the Bluejays offense with a pair of hits and two RBI while Nielsen, Vejvoda and Seville each recorded a multi-hit game as the Jays closed the contest with 10 hits.
The Bluejays will meet up with UConn on Thursday afternoon with first pitch scheduled for 3 p.m. CT from Glay Field in Providence, R.I.
Creighton Softball doubles up Butler in Big East Tournament
