Valparaiso, Ind. - Valpo's six-run sixth tied the game, but Butler scored two in the eighth inning and held on to defeat Valpo 8-6. Josh Piazza had two hits for the Crusaders (10-19).

Butler's Dale Mueller hit a two-out, two-run triple in the eighth for the final margin.

The Crusaders, trailing 6-0 entering the bottom of the sixth, scored six runs on two hits. Kevin Kutansky delivered an RBI single and Matt Augustine produced a sacrifice fly to trim the Bulldogs' lead to 6-2. Kutansky scored when Jeff Rickert reached on a throwing error and John Giusti's infield single and the third baseman's throwing error cleared the bases to force the tie.

Butler (13-21) scored three in the second and one in each of the third, fifth and sixth innings. Matt Martino had three hits and Mueller and Matt Ferguson had two hits and two RBIs apiece.

Valpo plays at Notre Dame Thursday at 6:05 p.m.