Butte and Big Sky are an even 5-5 against one another since April of 2018, but likely not for long. The Bulldogs will be playing in front of their home fans against the Eagles at 1:00 p.m. on Friday. The two teams each escaped (but just barely!) with wins against their previous opponents.
Butte is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Montana's top teams: Capital, who was ranked 20th at the time (Butte was ranked 16th). The Bulldogs had just enough and edged out the Bruins 3-1. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Bulldogs have posted since May 14, 2024.
Ashlinn Mullaney
| 04/12/25 @ Capital | 8 |
| 04/10/25 vs Helena | 7 |
| 04/07/25 vs Sentinel | 9 |
| 04/03/25 @ Hellgate | 10 |
Ashlinn Mullaney spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned run on six hits and racked up eight Ks. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't tossed less than seven strikeouts in four consecutive appearances.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Mattie Stepan, who scored a run while going 3-for-3. Gracie Jonart was another key player, scoring two runs while going 2-for-4.
Butte was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .379. They are 2-1 when they post a batting average of .375 or better.
Meanwhile, Big Sky won against Helena on Saturday with four runs and they decided to stick to that run total again on Tuesday. The Eagles sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 4-3 victory over Sentinel. The win was nothing new for the Eagles as they're now sitting on three straight.
Sadie McGuinn was incredible, going 3-for-4 with one home run, one triple, and two RBI. That triple was her first of the season. The team also got some help courtesy of Hayden Weaver, who scored two runs and stole a base while getting on base in three of her four plate appearances.
Butte is on a roll lately: they've won three of their last four matchups. That's provided a nice bump to their 3-5 record this season. Those victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.0 runs over those games. As for Big Sky, their win bumped their record up to 7-1.
Friday's contest will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Butte hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .315. However, it's not like Big Sky struggles in that department as they've averaged .446. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Butte suffered a grim 23-3 defeat to Big Sky in their previous matchup back in April of 2024. Can the Bulldogs avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
