April 19, 2008

Game One | Game Two

BALTIMORE, Md. - The Boston University softball team's (25-15, 11-2 AE) bats came alive on Saturday afternoon with two wins over UMBC (18-23, 7-6 AE) in Baltimore, Md. BU defeated UMBC by 7-1 and 11-7 margins and was led by senior Tyler Benson with four RBI. Sophomores Cassidi Hardy and Megan Currier each picked up wins in the circle. BU and UMBC will conclude the series on Sunday at noon.

Benson collected two hits to go along with her four RBI, while sophomore Rachel Hebert was also productive with three runs batted in. Freshman Melanie Delgado had a three RBI game in the second game, while junior Shayne Lotito drove in two in the first contest.

Hardy went the distance to earn her 11th win of the season with seven strikeouts in game one. She issued three walks and surrendered one run. Currier improved to 8-6 overall with two strikeouts and four runs in four innings of work and freshman Kelley Engman held up the victory in the final three innings, surrendering three runs - two earned - with two strikeouts.

In the first game, the Terriers pounded out 10 hits and scored seven to break a scoreless streak that had spanned two games. Lotito led with three hits in four at-bats and two RBI, while Benson drove in two on one hit.

BU got on the board early when Hebert's RBI single scored freshman April Setterlund. The lead was short-lived; however, as the Retrievers responded with a run in the bottom half of the inning. Following that first frame, BU reclaimed the lead and did not relent as it tacked on two more in the second with a two-run blast from Lotito.

The Terriers extended their lead in the third with Benson's single up the middle that brought home juniors Brooke Hudson and Melissa Dubay, and in the fourth Dubay laid down a bunt that scored Lotito. BU rounded out the scoring in the seventh with a run on a ground out.

In game two, BU got things going quickly with three runs in the first on an RBI single from Hebert and an error by UMBC's Stephanie Weigman. In the third, the Terriers added two more with Delgado's single to right field and another fielding error by the Retrievers.

UMBC began to mount a rally in the third with a single that scored two before adding one more in the fourth on an RBI single, which cut the deficit to two runs. The Retrievers closed the gap to one with a solo shot in the bottom of the fifth; however, in the sixth the Terriers halted the rally with two runs on back-to-back RBI singles from Hebert and Hudson. In the same frame, BU drove in an additional four runs with Delgado and Benson's two-run singles. In the bottom half of the inning, UMBC mounted another rally with three runs; however, BU staved off the attempt and held on for the 11-7 victory.

BU and UMBC will complete the season series with a single game on Sunday at noon.