The Butler Bulldogs will venture away from home to face off against the Charlotte Catholic Cougars at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. One thing working in Butler's favor is that they have posted at least ten runs in their last three games.
Butler took a loss when they played away from home on Thursday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Friday. Their pitchers stepped up to hand Rocky River a 12-0 shutout. Considering the Bulldogs have won five matches by more than eight runs this season, Friday's blowout was nothing new.
Grayson DeBerry made a big impact while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, pitching one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. Those zero hits allowed gave him a new career-low. He was also solid in the batter's box, scoring two runs and stealing a base while getting on base in all three of his plate appearances. He has been hot recently, having posted at least one stolen base the last three times he's played.
In other pitching news, Chase Decurtis looked comfortable as he tossed one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. He has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than two hits in four consecutive appearances.
Tim Henderson
| 03/28/25 vs Rocky River | 4 |
| 03/20/25 vs Cox Mill | 1 |
| 03/14/25 @ Providence | 1 |
| 03/12/25 vs Mallard Creek | 1 |
Back at the plate, Tim Henderson was incredible, scoring two runs and stealing four bases while going 2-for-3. Those four stolen bases gave him a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Collin Keith, who scored a run and stole two bases while going 1-for-1.
Butler always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .517. That was just more of the same: they've now posted an OBP of .512 or higher in three consecutive contests.
Meanwhile, Charlotte Catholic came tearing into Friday's game with six straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 16.5 runs), and they left with even more momentum. They came out on top against the Lions by a score of 6-1.
Alex Hoffman made a splash no matter where he played. On the mound, he didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only two hits while striking out nine over five innings pitched. Hoffman was also big at the plate, scoring two runs and stealing a base while getting on base in all four of his plate appearances.
In other pitching news, Dylan Kelleher looked comfortable as he pitched one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits.
Back at the plate, Charlotte Catholic got a big performance out of John Hucko, who went 1-for-2 with two RBI and one double. Cooper Gornet was another key player, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 2-for-4.
Charlotte Catholic pushed their record up to 13-2 with the victory, which was their sixth straight at home. Those wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.0 runs on average over those games. As for Butler, their victory ended a three-game drought at home and bumped them up to 6-8.
Tuesday's match might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Butler has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .439. However, it's not like Charlotte Catholic struggles in that department as they've averaged .522. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Butler might still be hurting after the 11-1 loss they got from Charlotte Catholic when the teams last played back in April of 2024. Can Butler avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
