April 14, 2012

Box Score (Game One) | Box Score (Game Two)

ALBANY - The Boston University softball team swept America East rival Albany in a doubleheader on Saturday afternoon in Albany, N.Y. It was the first meeting between the two teams since last year’s conference championship game in which Albany captured the title. Today’s wins move BU to 24-12 on the season and 8-2 in conference play.

BU dominated Albany in the first game thanks to an eight-run fifth inning to power the Terriers to a 13-2 victory, as the game ended in five innings due to the mercy rule.

Sophomore Amy Ekart hit a grand slam for her team-leading sixth homerun of the season while classmate Brittany Clendenny added her third homer of the season to lead the Terriers in game one. Senior Erica Casacci went 3-for-4 at the plate with a double while sophomore Chelsea Kehr also doubled for the Terriers.

Sophomore Holli Floetker picked up her 13th win of the season by pitching all five innings for BU. The right-handed hurler allowed five hits and two runs while striking out 10 batters to move her record to 13-3 in the circle.

BU took an early lead in the top of the first inning. Sophomore Jayme Mask walked and Casacci singled to shortstop before Clendenny homered to left field to give the Terriers an early 3-0 lead.

Floetker shined for BU, as she retired nine of the first 10 batters she faced. The Terriers added to her cushion on the top of the fourth with a pair of runs.

Clendenny and Chelsea O’Connor hit back-to-back singles and a sacrifice fly from senior Emily Roesch drove Clendenny home. Later in the inning, Kehr doubled to left field to bring O’Connor home and push BU’s lead to 5-0.

BU’s offense exploded in an eight-run fifth inning. The Great Danes changed pitchers to start the inning and the BU batters took advantage. Mask started off by walking and Casacci followed with a double to left center to bring Mask home. The next two batters walked before O’Connor singled to left field to load the bases while also driving in a run. Ekart then stepped up to the plate and blasted a grand slam out of the park with just one out in the inning.

Senior Melanie Delgado continued the inning with a single up the middle and Alyssa Barsanti stepped in to run for her. Barsanti moved to second a wild pitch then scored with a single from Mask to left field. Casacci and Megan Volpano followed with singles, as Mask scored to give BU its eight run of the inning and a 13-0 lead.

Albany’s offense began to wake up in the bottom of the fifth with four hits, including a two-RBI double, but it was not enough to continue the game, as BU captured the 13-2 victory in five innings due to the mercy rule.

BU capped the day with a 3-1 victory over the Great Danes in the second game of the doubleheader. Casacci led the Terriers with two hits, including a triple, while O’Connor smacked a double for two RBIs. Junior Erin Schuppert pitched the complete game for the Terriers and allowed just one run and five hits to improve to 5-5 on the season.

Despite having two runners on base in both the first and second innings, BU could not get a runner home early on in the game. Albany scored the first run of the contest in the bottom of the second when Lauren Alcorn doubled to left center to drive Katie Wambold home.

BU scored its first run of the game in the top of the fourth inning. Ekart and Kehr each got on base with singles and Delgado drove Ekart home with a sacrifice fly to tie the game at 1-1. The Terriers struck again in the top of the fifth. After Casacci and Volpano hit into the first two outs, Clendenny singled up the middle. O’Connor stepped up and smacked a double to bring Clendenny home and give BU a 2-1 advantage.

After a scoreless sixth inning, BU tacked on its final run in the top of the seventh. Clendenny got on base with an error by the pitcher and advanced to second before rookie Kendra Meadows stepped in to pinch run. O’Connor then flied out to the centerfielder but drove in her second run of the game for BU to go up 3-1. BU’s defense forced Albany into three quick outs in the bottom half of the inning for BU to secure the victory.

The Terriers and Great Danes conclude their three-game series tomorrow at 12 p.m., in Albany, N.Y.