Softball Hammers Top-Seed Maine; Advances in AE Tourney
May 11, 2006 | Softball
ORONO, Maine – The Terriers exploded for 10 runs in their final two at-bats to pound top-seeded Maine 11-1 in the first round of the America East Tournament Thursday afternoon. BU, the no. 4 seed, banged out 12 hits and torched a Black Bear pitching staff which allowed more runs than it had in any game this season. The Terriers now advance to face no. 2 seed Albany in the second round of the double elimination event on Thursday at 11 a.m.
Freshman pitcher Cassidi Hardy was dominant throughout, allowing just one hit – a harmless single by Lindsey Hawkins in the fourth inning. She tossed a complete-game and struck out 10, as she improved to 16-10 on the season. Meanwhile, the Terrier offense was relentless, as eight of the nine starters scored at least one run and seven of the nine had at least one hit.
“We really played well today,” said Terrier head coach Shawn Rychick, now in his second season. “We left some runners on early, but we really hit the ball well today. Cassidi was phenomenal on the mound.”
BU was frustrated in the early going, leaving five runners on base in the first three innings. In the first inning, Christy Leath singled and Brandi Shields roped a double to left center. Leath attempted to score on the play but she was thrown out at home by Maine SS Brittany Cheyney for the final out of the inning.
BU threatened again in the second frame when Maine starter Jenna Balent walked Josey Mendez and Molly Gallagher. The Terriers could not capitalize, however, as Balent fanned two in the inning and the game remained scoreless.
In the third, the Terriers had back-to-back one-out singles by Tyler Benson and Leath, but were blanked again, as Balent worked out of the jam. Maine broke through in the bottom of the frame, as Dana Grimm walked, stole second, advanced to third on a fly out and scored on Hardy’s wild pitch.
BU responded in the fourth, tying the game at 1-1 when Shayne Lotito was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. Balent had walked three of the first four batters of the inning to load the bases. BU was unable to take the lead, however, as Benson grounded into a fielder’s choice and Leath struck out looking.
BU broke the game open in the fifth inning, scoring four runs to take a commanding 5-1 lead. Brandi Shields led off with an infield single and came around to score on Liz Alley’s ringing double to center. Two batters later, Gallagher hit a comebacker to Maine reliever Sarah Bennis. Bennis, in attempt to nab Norah Militz (pinch-running for Alley) at the plate, threw the ball to the backstop, allowing Militz to score and give BU a 3-1 advantage. Brooke Hudson followed Gallagher by striking out on a pitch in the dirt. When Maine catcher Elizabeth Foltz threw down to first to erase Hudson, Melissa Dubay raced home from third with the third BU run of the inning. Lotito completed the rally with an RBI single up the middle, plating Gallagher and giving the Terriers a four-run lead.
BU put the game away with six runs in the sixth inning. Alley clubbed a two-run home run – the 30th of her career – to give the Terriers a 7-1 lead. Two Black Bear errors would allow BU to score four more unearned runs – the last two on Leath’s two-run double.
Alley was 2-4 with three RBI, while Leath and Shields had three hits apiece.
Should BU defeat Albany on Friday, the Terriers would advance to the championship game on Saturday. A loss would force BU to win one more game on Friday and two on Saturday. Albany advanced by virtue of an 8-0 win over UMBC, when Great Dane pitcher Sarah HAlloran threw a no-hitter. The winner of the America East Tournament advances to the NCAA Tournament next week. BU has not been to the NCAAs since 2003.
