STORRS, Conn. – The 2021 BIG EAST Softball Championship presented by JEEP continued on Friday at Burrill Family Field at the Connecticut Softball Complex. Game 4 saw No. 3 seed and host UConn defeat No. 4 seed Butler, 4-1, before No. 2 seed Villanova eliminated the Bulldogs with a 14-5 win in Game 5. The Huskies and Wildcats advance to Championship Saturday, which begins at noon ET on FS2. Should Villanova win Game 6 against UConn at noon, the two squads will go to a winner-take-all Game 7, slated for 2:30 p.m. on FS2. UConn can clinch the title with a win in Game 6, which would be its first since 2001. The Wildcats eye their first BIG EAST crown.
 
Game 4: No. 3 UConn 4, No. 4 Butler 1
The Huskies moved one win away from clinching their first BIG EAST Championship since 2001 with a 4-1 win over Butler, improving to 2-0 in postseason play and advancing to Saturday’s title series. After a scoreless first, the teams traded runs in the second, with Zoe Herdman’s sacrifice fly sending Mackenzie Griman across the plate for the Bulldogs and Devon Casazza homering for the Huskies. An inning later Jana Sanden's single to center field drove in Briana Marcelino to give UConn (22-18) a one-run advantage. The Huskies put more separation between themselves and the Bulldogs as they doubled their lead in the bottom fifth. Leadoff hitter Marcelino opened with a two-bagger to right field. Her efforts were rewarded on the next at bat as Reese Guevarra's RBI single brought Marcelino in for a 3-1 lead. UConn added an insurance run in the following inning to push the margin to three. Payton Kinney came up clutch for UConn in the circle, earning the win with 4.2 innings and six strikeouts, including two in the bottom of the seventh with the Bulldogs threatening. Alyssa Graves took the loss for Butler after 4.0 innings, three strikeouts and three earned runs. Butler’s Lauren Fey posted a game-high three hits while UConn’s Marcelino had a game-best two runs scored.
Full Recap | Highlights
 
Game 5: No. 2 Villanova 14, No. 4 Butler 5
The high-powered Wildcat offense shined in Game 5, putting up the second-most runs in a BIG EAST Championship game and most by a team since 1998. With the win, Villanova (34-13) moves on to Saturday’s title series and the Bulldogs are eliminated. It was a back-and-forth affair early with Villanova scoring two runs in the third before Butler responded with three in the bottom of the fourth. The Wildcats regained the lead, 4-3, with two more runs in the fifth off a Megan Kern two-run homer, before the Bulldogs evened the game at 4-4 after a Zoe Herdman solo shot. The Villanova bats came alive in the sixth, with Julia DaCosta homering, Dan Dabroski registering a triple and Kern driving in more runs as the Wildcats tallied five scores in the inning. They tacked on another five in the seventh as DaCosta, Kern and Ryan Henry all notched doubles. Kern and Angela Giampolo each finished with four RBI, while Paige Rauch earned the win in the circle with 6.0 innings pitched, four strikeouts and four earned runs. Herdman sparked Butler (17-21) with two hits and two RBI, while Alyssa Graves took the loss in the circle after surrendering the go-ahead runs in the sixth. Karli Ricketts struck out eight in 5.1 innings of work for the Bulldogs.  
Full Recap | Highlights
 
BIG EAST Softball Championship Presented by JEEP
Burrill Family Field at the Connecticut Softball Complex
DAY 1 – THURSDAY, MAY 13:
Game 1: No. 4 Butler 8, No. 1 DePaul 1– BEDN
Game 2: No. 3 UConn 4, No. 2 Villanova 3 – BEDN
Game 3: No. 2 Villanova 9, No. 1 DePaul 1 – BEDN
DAY 2 – FRIDAY, MAY 14:
Game 4: No. 3 UConn 4, No. 4 Butler 1 – FS2
Game 5: No. 2 Villanova 14, No. 4 Butler 5 – FS2
Day 3 – SATURDAY, May 15:
Game 6: No. 3 UConn vs. No. 2 Villanova, Noon – FS2
Game 7 (if necessary): If Winner of Game 5 wins Game 6, 2:30 p.m. – FS2
All times Eastern
 
Each competing team will be provided a limited number of complimentary tickets. Additional general admission seating will be available on the hill outside of the stadium on a first-come, first-served basis. For more on the BIG EAST Softball Championship, visit Championship Central by clicking HERE.