Championship Central
ROSEMONT, ILL. – Butler, UConn, and Creighton will see semifinal action in the 2026 BIG EAST Softball Championship Presented by JEEP at the Parkway Bank Softball Complex in Rosemont, Ill.
With victories in their first-round matches, #2 UConn and #4 Butler will face off in the first semifinal on Friday, May 8 at 1 p.m. CT. The winner will move on to the title game on Saturday, May 9 (1 p.m. CT). The loser will face #3 Creighton at 4 p.m. CT on Friday for the chance to advance through the elimination bracket.
All games will stream on ESPN+.
#4 Butler, 10, #1 Providence, 3 Box Score
Four-seed Butler upset No. 1 Providence, 10-3, behind an explosive nine-run first inning. Alona Boydston opened scoring, sending Makena Alexander and Cate Lehner home with a two-RBI single. Kayla Preiss followed with a run off the bat of Kieli Ryan. Boydston added a tally of her own when teammate Payton Law drew a walk.
Following a pitching change, Olivia Roberts singled to left field to score Ryan. In her second at-bat of the inning, Lehner hit a sac-fly, scoring Kendall Graves. Hailey Conger further extended Butler’s lead with a two-run triple, sending Roberts and Law home. Alexander closed Butler’s first inning rush with an RBI double to score Conger.
Providence picked up one run in the bottom of the first inning when Emily Jonte crossed home on an RBI double from Sofia Peterson.
Butler tacked on another run in the second inning when Ryan scored off a sacrifice fly.
Friars Emerson Buckley and Jonte scored on a two-run single from Julia Renny in the fifth inning to lessen Butler’s lead.
In all, Butler totaled eight hits while Providence amassed 10.
Bulldog pitcher Maren Berger earned the win, tossing a complete game with two strikeouts.
Providence’s Alyssa Twomey bore the loss. Tori Grifone tossed two innings while teammate Grace Brooks hurled four frames. The Providence staff combined for five strikeouts.
#2 UConn, 9, #3 Creighton, 3 – Box Score
Two-seed UConn came from behind to defeat #3 Creighton, 9-3.
Creighton scored all three of their runs in the top of the first. Lily West contributed a two-run double to score Zoey Greenwood and Kaelan Schultz. West then tallied a run of her own off an error.
The Huskies answered with one run in the bottom of the first. Haley Coupal crossed home behind an RBI double from Kaitlyn Breslin.
UConn leveled the score, 3-3, in the second. Kaitlyn Kibling scored on a sac fly, opening the door for Caylee De Meo who launched a solo homer to left field.
The 2026 BIG EAST Player of the Year, Cat Petteys, put the Huskies ahead with a two-run home run in the fourth frame. Emma Willers tacked on another run courtesy of an RBI triple from Kibling. In the next at-bat Ava Calciano tacked on an RBI double, scoring Kibling.
In the fifth inning, Kibling notched her second RBI of the evening with a single to score Isabella Lundquist while Petteys contributed her second run on an error.
The Huskies out hit the Bluejays 10-7.
UConn’s Jessica Walter claimed the win in the circle, throwing a complete game with three strikeouts.
For the Bluejays, Audrey Gilman tossed 3.1 innings with one strikeout, bearing the loss. Teammate Landrie Harris hurled 2.1 innings and struck out two.
#3 Creighton, 4, #1 Providence, 2 – Box Score
With three home runs from two batters, #3 Creighton upended #1 Providence, 4-2, to advance through the elimination bracket to Saturday’s semifinals.
Bluejay Tara Vandewater opened scoring with a solo home run to center field in the bottom of the first.
Providence answered in the top of third with a run from Cameron Dunn.
Creighton countered in the bottom of the third with another solo home run, this time off the bat of Ella Dalton. Vandewater then registered her second homer of the night, a two-run blast to left center field.
The Friars followed with a home run of their own in the fourth frame, a solo shot off the bat of Hailey Frantz.
Landrie Harris (Creighton) was credited with the win, throwing 3.2 innings and striking out two. Teammate Audrey Gilman threw 3.1 innings, also striking out two.
Addyson Frye (Providence) bore the loss, tossing all six innings with three strikeouts.
The Bluejays and Friars logged seven hits apiece.
2026 BIG EAST Softball Championship Schedule
Thursday, May 7
Game 1 (12 p.m. CT/ 1 p.m. ET): #1 Providence, 3 vs. #4 Butler, 10 Box Score - Photo Gallery
Game 2 (3 p.m. CT/ 4 p.m. ET): #2 UConn, 9 vs. #3 Creighton, 3 Box Score - Photo Gallery
Game 3 (6 p.m. CT/ 7 p.m. ET): #1 Providence, 2 vs. #3 Creighton, 4 Box Score - Photo Gallery
Friday, May 8
Game 4 (1 p.m. CT/ 2 p.m. ET): #2 UConn vs. #4 Butler (ESPN+) - Live Stats
Game 5 (4 p.m. CT/ 5 p.m. ET): #3 Creighton vs. Loser of Game 4 (ESPN+) - Live Stats
Saturday, May 9
Game 6 (1 p.m. CT/ 2 p.m. ET): Winner of Game 4 vs. Winner of Game 5 (ESPN+) - Live Stats
Game 7 (3:30 p.m. CT/ 4 p.m. ET): If Winner of Game 5 Wins Game 6 (ESPN+) - Live Stats