Butler's first NCAA Tournament run came to end Saturday in Lexington, Ky., falling 2-1 in eight innings to Illinois in a tournament elimination game. The Bulldogs conclude the 2016 campaign with a record of 28-24.
Nicole Evans' double scored Alyssa Gunther in the bottom of the eighth inning to push the Illini (36-22) into another elimination game Saturday against the host Wildcats of Kentucky, the tournament's ninth overall seed that defeated Butler earlier in the day.
"What a great experience," said Butler coach Scott Hall. "I couldn't be more proud of our team. It was a great team effort all weekend in these conditions against this caliber of competition.