BUTLER TWP - Fox Chapel softball coach Shane Billings has been waiting for his team to break out of its early-season hitting slump.

The Foxes did so in a big way against Butler Wednesday.

Fox Chapel rapped out 15 hits and had six players record multiple hits in an 11-0, six-inning victory over the Tornado.

"We've been working on it. It has not been a strength this year," said Billings. "It's been one of our concerns, but the girls came through."

It didn't help matters that Butler committed seven errors, including two in a five-run second inning.

"When you come out and make errors, it's tough to get back in it," said Butler coach Tanya Schnur.

In the second inning, Fox Chapel's Caroline Heffernan reached first on an error, followed by a sacrifice bunt single by Terri Zivic and a single by Melanie Wilhere to load the bases.

Chelsea Dabrowski lined a run-scoring single for a 1-0 lead. After a strikeout by Butler pitcher Kelly Reges, Alicia Miksic had a two-run single before Carrie DeStout and Jessica Smith added RBI singles for a Fox Chapel lead 5-0 lead.

That was more than enough run support for Zivic, who finished the game with seven strikeouts and allowed just four hits, three coming in the final inning.

The Foxes added three more runs in the fourth inning, capped by a two-run homer over the left-field fence by Smith. A pair of errors followed consecutive singles to open the inning before Smith's homer.

A wild pitch in the fifth inning gave the Foxes a 9-0 lead before an RBI single by Stephanie Cristina and an RBI triple by Heffernan in the sixth inning accounted for the final scoring.

Butler had a chance to score in the bottom of the sixth when, with one out, Dana Gillis singled and stole second base.

Amy Ferrari followed with a bloop single, but Gillis was thrown out at third base when she tried to advance.

Ferrari stole second and pinch-hitter Nikki Fend earned a walk and Laura Myers singled to load the bases. Zivic, however, struck out Kaitlin Carson to end the game.

Fox Chapel was able to break out of its hitting doldrums and Schnur can only hope her team will as well.

"We're trying to eliminate errors," said Schnur. "And, we're trying to get hits. We're having trouble getting good hits and we're getting pop-ups."

Notes:

The Foxes had two baserunners thrown out at third base. … Zivic struck out one batter in every inning except the sixth, when she fanned two … Butler has been shut out six times this season. … Megan Shingleton's second-inning double accounted for the Tornado's other hit.

Fox Chapel 050 312 x -11 15 0

Butler 000 000 x - 0 4 7

WP:

Terri Zivic (6 IP) 7 strikeouts, 2 walk.

LP:

Kelly Reges (6 IP) 4 strikeouts, 1 walk

Fox Chapel (1-4, 1-3):

Alicia Miksic 3-1B, 2 RBI; Carrie DeStout 3-1B, 2 RBI; Jessica Smith 1B, HR, 3 RBI; Stephanie Cristina 1B, RBI; Caroline Heffernan 1B, 3B, RBI; Melanie Wilhere 2-1B; Chelsea Dabrowski 2-1B, RBI; Terri Zivic 1B

Butler (1-8, 0-4):

Megan Shingleton 2B; Dana Gillis 1B; Amy Ferrari 1B; Laura Myers 1B

Friday:

Butler at Mars, 3:45 p.m.