April 21, 2011

Box Score

BOSTON - The Boston University softball team (24-12) jumped out to an early lead and held on for a 5-3 victory over Harvard (26-14) on Thursday afternoon at BU Softball Field. With the win, the Terriers split the season series with their crosstown rival.

Freshman Megan Volpano, who was 2-for-3 with two RBIs, unleashed her second home run of the season in the fifth inning to extend the Terriers' lead to five runs and cap off a productive afternoon for the rookie third baseman. Junior Erica Casacci was also effective offensively with two hits, two runs, an RBI and one stolen base.

The Terriers pitched by committee, with sophomore Erin Schuppert (8-3) getting the start. She went two innings giving up just one hit and one walk before handing the ball over to senior Kelley Engman in the third. Engman pitched one hitless frame and freshman Holli Floetker rendered the Crimson hitless for the fourth and fifth. Sophomore Whitney Tuthill closed out the game, and despite giving up three runs, sealed the victory with a strikeout.

BU never trailed as it scored right away in the first with Casacci taking advantage of a passed ball to come home. She had reached on an infield error, stole second and then advanced to third on a passed ball before scoring the same way.

In the third, the Terriers tacked on one more as Volpano drove in Casacci on a single to shortstop. They extended their lead one inning later as redshirt freshman Jayme Mask roped a double through the left side to plate pinch runner Kayla Kruper. Casacci then followed up with a double of her own to bring home Mask.

In the fifth Volpano stretched the lead to five runs with her long ball. In the top of the sixth, Harvard closed the gap with two runs on three hits and in the seventh plated one more. However, Tuthill got two fielder's choices and a strikeout to prevent the rally.

BU returns to conference action this weekend when it travels down to Hartford for a three-game series beginning on Saturday (April 23) at noon.