Softball Splits with Albany in Doubleheader
April 29, 2006 | Softball
Game One Box Score
Game Two Box Score
ALBANY, N.Y. – Cassidi Hardy threw a complete game one-hitter and Liz Alley and Brandi Shields each hit a solo home run to lead the Boston University softball team to a 2-1 victory over Albany in the first game of a doubleheader Saturday afternoon. The Terriers were victimized by a five-run second inning of game two, as the Great Danes earned the split with a 5-2 victory in the nightcap. BU is now 24-25 overall, 9-8 in America East play. Albany is 29-8-1, 10-4.
The Terriers are now in a three-way tie for third place in the conference standings. BU, UMBC and Stony Brook are each 9-8 (SBU swept a doubleheader from UMBC Saturday). Two of the three teams will qualify for the America East Tournament May 11-13.
In the first game, Albany struck first without the benefit of a base hit in the second inning, as the Great Danes tallied by virtue of two walks, a passed ball and a wild pitch. Trailing 1-0 in the fourth, BU knotted the score when Shields cranked her first home run of the season off Albany ace Sarah Halloran.
The Terriers broke the tie an inning later when Alley led off the fifth with a blast to left field. It was Alley’s seventh home run of the season and the 28th of her career. Alley had missed Thursday’s game against Brown due to a sore shoulder.
After the eventful second inning, Hardy cruised through innings three and four and entered the fifth with a no-hitter still in tact. She sandwiched two outs around a walk when Jen Larsen hit a sinking line drive to left. Terrier outfielder Molly Gallagher dove for the ball, but trapped it, allowing Larsen to reach on a double. With runners at second and third, Hardy bore down and struck out Brandi Maisonet to end the threat.
Hardy allowed just one base runner over the final two innings to improve to 13-9. She walked four and fanned six in tossing her 17th complete game of the season. Offensively, BU managed just three hits, as Christy Leath had a single in addition to the homers by Alley and Shields. Halloran (21-5) struck out 11 in the complete game loss.
In game two, Albany took advantage of wildness by Terrier starter Brittany Detwiler to score five runs in the second inning. Detwiler walked two and hit two batters, all four of whom came around to score to put the Terriers in a deep hole. Albany also recorded three hits in the inning – although the Great Danes would manage just one more the rest of the game.
BU got one run back in the fourth when Alley doubled home Shields to cut the deficit to 5-1. The Terriers scored again in the seventh on Shayne Lotito’s RBI single, and sent the tying run to the plate. However Tyler Benson grounded out to third against Halloran to end the threat and allow Albany to earn a split.
Detwiler finished strong, allowing just one hit in the next four innings, but dropped to 9-9 on the year. She walked four and fanned four in her 12th complete game of the season. Halloran (22-5) tossed a complete game as well, allowing two runs on five hits and fanning seven.
Offensively, BU was led by Alley, who was 2-3 with an RBI and Lotito, who was 2-4 with an RBI.
The Terriers and Great Danes conclude their series Sunday at 12 p.m. with a single game.
