Providence and Butler are an even 5-5 against one another since March of 2016, but likely not for long. The Providence Panthers will challenge the Butler Bulldogs at 5:00 p.m. on Friday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, the two teams will really light up the scoreboard.
It was a proper cat-fight when Providence challenged Charlotte Catholic on Tuesday. Everything went Providence's way against Charlotte Catholic as Providence made off with a 17-1 win. The Panthers might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won three matchups by ten runs or more this season.
Sophie Strugar
| 03/04/25 vs Charlotte Catholic | 1 |
| 03/03/25 vs Porter Ridge | 1 |
| 02/26/25 vs Hickory Ridge | 1 |
Sophie Strugar made a big impact while hitting and pitching. She tossed three innings while giving up just one earned run off four hits. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than one earned run in three consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, scoring a run while going 2-for-3.
In other batting news, Providence got a massive performance out of Camryn O'Connor, who went 2-for-3 with one home run, four RBI, and two runs. Another player making a difference was Olivia Wakem, who went 2-for-3 with four RBI, one run, and one double.
Providence always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .667. The last time their OBP was this high was back in April of 2024.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Butler, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Monday. They blew past Garinger 18-3 on Tuesday. The Bulldogs' hitters stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most runs they've scored all season.
Like Providence, Butler also got a great game from a two-way player: Ashlynne Forrest. On the mound, Forrest struck out six batters over two innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off one hit (and only one walk). Meanwhile, Parker Lamb pitched one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. That's the fewest hits she has allowed since back in April of 2024. At bat, Forrest scored a run while going 1-for-1, while Lamb went a perfect 1-for-1 with one triple, two RBI, and one run. Forrest also put up an RBI, which was her first of the season.
In other batting news, Malea Williams was a standout: she went a perfect 2-for-2 with three runs, one triple, and one RBI. Those three runs gave her a new career-high. Alyssa Rubidoux was another key player, going 1-for-2 with three RBI, two runs, and one triple.
Providence pushed their record up to 4-1 with the victory, which was their sixth straight at home dating back to last season. They've dominated over that stretch too, winning by an average of 8.8 runs. As for Butler, the win snapped their losing streak at five games dating back to last season and leaves them with a 1-3 record.
Butler's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Providence hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .436. It's a different story for Butler, though, as they've only averaged .256. Will they be able to contain Providence's hitters?
Providence came up short against Butler in their previous matchup back in April of 2024, falling 17-14. Can Providence avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
