March 11, 2008

Ball State Box Score | George Mason Box Score

TAMPA, Fla. - The Boston University softball team split its opening-round games on Tuesday afternoon at the USF Spring Invitational in Tampa, Fla. After falling, 6-5, to Ball State in 10 innings, the Terriers rebounded with a 5-4 victory over George Mason. Junior Shayne Lotito blasted a game-winning two-run homer in the seventh inning to seal the victory over George Mason. The Terriers stand at 4-8 overall and will face Indiana and host USF on Wednesday afternoon.

Lotito had a prolific afternoon with six RBI and two home runs, which included a grand slam against Ball State. Freshman pitcher Kelley Engman earned her first collegiate victory with two strikeouts against the Patriots.

In the Terriers' victory over the Patriots, BU found itself down by two runs leading into the fourth inning; however, junior Nora Militz knotted the score at two with a single to first base that brought home junior Melissa Dubay and sophomore Rachel Hebert. The Terriers went ahead by one with Militz's single through the right side in the sixth, but the Patriots answered with two runs in the bottom of the inning on a double to right center.

Lotito capped off her productive afternoon with a two-run long ball to right field that plated April Setterlund. In the bottom of the seventh, sophomore Megan Currier came in to pitch the final frame and retired the batters in order to earn the save.

Earlier in the day, Lotito hit the Terriers' first grand slam of 2008; however, BU fell by one run to Ball State in extra innings. Lotito drove in four in the sixth frame and junior Brooke Hudson plated a runner in the eighth, but Ball State came out on top with a single down the left line that brought the winning run home in the bottom of the 10th.

Cassidy Hardy pitched the first seven innings for the Terriers, allowing four earned runs on eight hits with five strikeouts, but Currier was charged with the loss in 2.1 innings of work, giving up one unearned run and striking out one batter.

Heading into the top of the fifth, BU trailed by two runs and freshman Melanie Delgado, senior Tyler Benson and freshman April Setterlund loaded the bases on three consecutive plate appearances. On the next at-bat, Lotito stepped up and unleashed her first collegiate grand slam to put BU up by two. However, the Cardinals answered with a two-run homer in the bottom half the frame to tie the score, 4-4.

In the sixth and seventh, Hardy forced Ball State to leave three on base, striking out one batter and forcing two ground outs to end both innings and send the game into extra innings. In the top of the eighth, Hudson drove in Hebert on a single to right field, but the Cardinals plated two unanswered runs in the ninth and tenth to claim the one-run victory.

BU will open the second day of the tourney with Indiana at 11:30 a.m. and follow up with USF at 4:00 p.m.