Eagles
| 04/15/25 @ Sentinel | 4 |
| 04/08/25 vs Capital | 16 |
| 04/03/25 vs Glacier | 5 |
| 04/01/25 vs Hellgate | 14 |
| + 3 more games |
Big Sky and Butte are an even 5-5 against one another since April of 2018, but likely not for long. The Eagles will head out on the road to square off against the Bulldogs at 1:00 p.m. on Friday. Big Sky is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 10.6 runs per game this season.
Big Sky is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Montana's top teams: Sentinel, who was ranked tenth at the time (Big Sky was ranked ninth). The Eagles came out on top in a nail-biter against the Spartans on Tuesday, sneaking past 4-3. The Eagles haven't had any issues with the Spartans recently, as the game was their third consecutive victory against them.
The team relied heavily on Sadie McGuinn, who went 3-for-4 with one home run, one triple, and two RBI. She is on a roll when it comes to home runs, as she's now launched at least one in each of the last four games she's played. 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.
Meanwhile, Butte hadn't done well against Capital recently (they were 0-9 in their previous nine matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Saturday. The Bulldogs sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 3-1 win over the Bruins. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Bulldogs have posted since May 14, 2024.
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. Those hits marked the first that she allowed this season.
On the hitting side, Mattie Stepan was incredible, scoring a run while going 3-for-3. Gracie Jonart also deserves some recognition as she hit her first double of the season.
Butte kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least eight hits in four consecutive games.
Butte is on a roll lately: they've won three of their last four contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 3-5 record this season. The wins 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 record now sits at 7-1.
Butte's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Big Sky has been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 9.9 hits per game. It's a different story for Butte, though, as they've been averaging 9.4 hits. Given Big Sky's sizable advantage in that area, the Bulldogs will need to find a way to close that gap.
Big Sky took their victory against Butte in their previous matchup back in April of 2024 by a conclusive 23-3 score. Will the Eagles repeat their success, or do the Bulldogs have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
