Providence College Softball Hosts BIG EAST Series Against Butler

PROVIDENCE, R.I.– The Providence College softball team is set to host a three-game BIG EAST series against the Butler Bulldogs beginning on Friday, March 14 on Glay Field in Providence, R.I. The series opener is set for March 14 at 3:00 p.m., followed by game two on March 15 at 1:00 p.m. The series finale will take place on March 16 at 12:00 p.m., with all games available for viewing on FloSports.

"Coming off an exciting and successful first weekend of conference play, we are looking forward to continuing to building momentum towards our ultimate goal of the BIG EAST Championship," Head Coach Kelsey Christensen said.

SCOUTING PROVIDENCE
Providence enters the weekend with a 5-14 overall record after splitting a two-game series with Yale. Last weekend, the Friars opened BIG EAST play with a 2-1 series victory over Creighton (March 7-9).

Junior Elisa Smith (Glen Allen, Va.) has had an impressive season so far for Providence. The outfielder finished her BIG EAST opening weekend going 3-for-7 (.429) at the plate, with all three hits coming in the Friars' win on March 9. She registered two RBI, two runs scored, a .571 slugging percentage and .636 on base percentage to help the Friars earn a 2-1 series victory over the Bluejays. Smith currently leads the team in hits with 24. Smith's efforts last week earned her a spot on the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll for the second consecutive week.
Senior Bella Sebastian (Ramsey, N.J.) concluded play last week with three hits, one RBI and three runs scored. The outfielder registered a .500 slugging percentage and a .444 on-base percentage.

Sophomore Emma Eichten (Alamo, Calif). finished the BIG EAST opening weekend with an 8-3 effort at the plate, two RBI and two runs scored. Eichten called game in the final inning in the Friars' comeback win on Sunday March 9 when she drew a walk with the bases loaded to score Smith.

Graduate student Tori Grifone (Sussex, N.J.) had a standout performance during the BIG EAST home-opening weekend. The BIG EAST Pitcher of the Week posted a 2-0 mark against Creighton. She pitched a conference-high 11 innings, finishing with a 1.27 ERA and a league-best 15 strikeouts. Grifone limited the Bluejays to a .200 batting average, allowing just eight hits and two earned runs across both games. She played a pivotal role in the Friars' 4-3 comeback victory over Creighton on March 9, striking out nine batters and holding Creighton scoreless in the final inning. It allowed Providence to secure the comeback win in the bottom of the seventh.

SCOUTING BUTLER
Butler enters the series with a 14-6 overall record, including a 3-0 mark in BIG EAST play. Last week, the Bulldogs swept DePaul, highlighted by a 21-2 victory that set a program record for most runs scored against a Division I opponent.

Cate Lehner leads the BIG EAST and ranks 54th nationally with a .453 batting average. She is second in the conference (37th nationally) with 34 hits and leads the BIG EAST with 16 stolen bases, ranking 16th nationally.

Ella White leads the BIG EAST and ranks 34th nationally with a .563 on-base percentage. She is third in the conference (93rd nationally) with 24 RBI and fourth with a .750 slugging percentage. Against DePaul, she went 6-for-9 (.667) with seven RBI.

Makena Alexander leads the BIG EAST and ranks 89th nationally with six home runs. She is second in the conference (89th nationally) with a .763 slugging percentage and fourth with 23 RBI. In the series against DePaul, she went 7-for-10 (.700) with two doubles, two home runs, and 10 RBI, earning BIG EAST Player of the Week honors.
Gwen Baker ranks third in the BIG EAST (88th nationally) with six wins and third (78th) with a 3.19 ERA. Against DePaul, she won two starts with a 1.56 ERA over 9.0 innings. She was named BIG EAST Freshman of the Week for the second straight week.

ON DECK
The Friars will play in a mid-week doubleheader against Dartmouth on Tuesday, March 18. The games will be held at the Brown Softball Field in Providence, R.I. with the first game beginning at 3:30 p.m.

-GO FRIARS!-

Providence College Softball Hosts BIG EAST Series Against Butler

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Emma Eichten

Tori Grifone

Elisa Smith

Cancelled Event: Softball versus Tarleton State

Completed Event: Softball versus Brown on April 30, 2025 , Loss , 1, to, 2

Completed Event: Softball at Villanova on May 2, 2025 , Loss , 0, to, 8 , (5 innings)

Completed Event: Softball at Villanova on May 3, 2025 , Loss , 4, to, 5

Completed Event: Softball at Villanova on May 4, 2025 , Loss , 5, to, 13 , (6 innings)

Completed Event: Softball versus No. 3 Villanova on May 7, 2025 , Win , 10, to, 9 , (8 innings)

Completed Event: Softball versus No. 2 Connecticut on May 8, 2025 , Loss , 4, to, 5

Completed Event: Softball versus No. 5 Butler on May 8, 2025 , Win , 7, to, 0

Completed Event: Softball versus No. 1 St. John's on May 9, 2025 , Win , 10, to, 0 , (5 innings)

Completed Event: Softball versus No. 4 Creighton on May 10, 2025 , Loss , 4, to, 5

Providence College Athletics