April 24, 2011
Box Score (Game 1) | Box Score (Game 2)
Live Stats (Hartford Game 3)
WEST HARTFORD, Conn. - A balanced offensive attack and strong pitching propelled the Boston University softball team (26-12, 8-3 America East) to a pair of wins over Hartford (7-29, 2-9 AE) on Sunday afternoon.
The Terriers defeated Hartford 11-2 in game one and followed up with a 9-2 victory in game two.
Freshman Megan Volpano provided an offensive spark as she went 6-for-8 with a double and three RBIs, while redshirt freshman Chelsea Kehr was 4-for-8 with a double and two RBIs. Senior Christina Valdes had one of the most productive afternoons of her career as she drove in five runs on a three-run homer and a two-run double in game one.
In two games, the Terriers pushed 20 runs across home plate with seven different batters collecting multiple hits and nine recording RBIs.
On the mound, freshman Holli Floetker (10-3) was given the nod in game one and she went the distance, striking out five batters and surrendering just two runs on seven hits. Sophomore Whitney Tuthill (8-5) took over in game two with a complete-game effort, and giving up just two runs on six hits. She struck out two batters and walked one.
GAME ONE: After a scoreless first inning, the Terriers put three up on the scoreboard in the second when Valdes homered for the first time this season, plating Volpano and Kehr in the process. The Hawks answered with one in the fourth, but a three-run fifth extended the lead to six, 6-1, as freshman Amy Ekart hit one out of the park and Kehr drove in two off a single up the middle.
Junior Erica Casacci got in on the action in the sixth as she doubled into left field to score Ekart, who had been walked in her at-bat. The Terriers then exploded with four runs on four hits in the seventh. Valdes smacked a two-run double and redshirt freshman Jayme Mask return the favor by bringing her home on a double of her own.
The Hawks got one more on the board in the bottom of the seventh, but they were unable to get any closer despite stranding three on base to end the game.
GAME TWO: The Terriers scored four runs over the first three innings, highlighted by a two-run homer from Volpano - her third of the season. In the bottom half of the third, Hartford cut the deficit in half, 4-2, with an RBI single, however, BU went on to score five unanswered runs over the final three frames.
In the fifth, freshmen Brittany Clendenny and Alyssa Barsanti scored on a wild pitch after stealing second and third, respectively. In the seventh, BU put the game even further out of reach as it loaded the bases on the first three at-bats of the inning. Clendenny followed up with an RBI single and senior Kelley Engman and Ekart were credited with the final two runs of the game on a fielder's choice and a sacrifice fly.
BU will look to complete the series sweep on Monday (April 25) at noon.
