By Peyton Thompson
The Butler softball team took part in the 2019 U-S-F Series in Tampa, Florida last week going 1-4 in the series. The Bulldogs beat La Salle, but fell to Minnesota, USF, Princeton and North Florida.
Although the outcome is not exactly what they had hoped for, the Bulldogs are continuing to look up. Junior outfielder Alyssa Garcia stays optimistic.
“I think that although our record on the week says otherwise, our team is really improving,” Garcia said. “We are a very hard-working team and this past week has been a learning experience for what else we still need to work on.”
There is always room for improvement. Butler fell to Princeton, allowing 4 unearned runs and Minnesota’s winning run came on a throwing error. Sammy Andersen and Claire Gilliland are the only players who have multiple home runs.
Despite their early struggles, the team’s confidence grows.
“I think it is very important to take all of the lessons that we learned from Tampa and use them to fine-tune everything this week at practice before we start conference play Saturday,” junior infielder Madi Christiansen said.
The Bulldogs are now 9-16 on the season, and will travel to Miami (Ohio) today for a 5 p.m. first pitch.
The Bulldogs will open BIG EAST play with a doubleheader against DePaul on Saturday, March 23. First pitch is set for noon. The battle between conference foes will also serve as Butler’s home opener.
