Boston University
UMBC
Terriers Claim Regular-Season Crown with Sweep of UMBC
May 6, 2012 | Softball
May 6, 2012
Box Score (Game One) | Box Score (Game Two)
BALTIMORE - The Boston University softball team claimed the America East regular-season title with a sweep of UMBC Sunday afternoon in Baltimore, Md. The Terriers defeated the Retrievers, 9-4 and 10-1, to claim their third straight regular-season championship and home-field advantage in the America East tournament. BU ends the regular season with a 37-14 overall record and 15-3 mark in conference play.
BU's offense exploded for 13 hits in the first game of the doubleheader with junior Emily Roesch leading the way going 4-for-4 at the plate, including a triple, with three RBIs. Senior Erica Casacci posted two hits while sophomores Brittany Clendenny and Chelsea O'Connor also added a pair of hits. Fellow sophomore Megan Volpano hit a home run for the second consecutive game.
Junior Erin Schuppert earned the win for the Terriers to improve to 7-6 on the season. Schuppert allowed four runs off of seven hits and struck out two batters in 4.0 innings of work. Classmate Whitney Tuthill relieved her and pitched the final three innings, allowing just one hit and striking out a batter to be credited with the save.
BU's bats were alive in the first inning as the Terriers took a 5-0 lead after the first frame. Sophomore Jayme Mask led off with a single to the pitcher and Casacci followed with a bunt, while Mask managed to score on the play due to a throwing error by the third baseman. After back-to-back walks, O'Connor stepped up and knocked a single to center field to score Casacci and Roesch followed with a base hit to drive in Volpano.
Freshman Mandy Fernandez walked to bring Clendenny home. After Amy Ekart struck out looking for the first out of the inning, Melanie Delgado used a sacrifice fly to drive in another run and put the Terriers up 5-0 after half an inning.
The Terriers added two runs in the top of the second with Casacci starting off with her second hit of the day. Volpano followed with a homer to center field to bring in two runs and give BU a 7-0 lead. UMBC scored its first run of the game in the bottom half of the inning with Angela Yannone beginning the frame with a double to left field. Ashley Carver singled up the middle to move the runner to third then Katrina Gaar drove in the run with a fielder's choice to put the score at 7-1 after two innings.
After a quick 1-2-3 at bat for the Terriers, UMBC added three runs in the bottom of the third. Jessica Warner led off with a homer to left field and after Caitlin Chance flied out to left field, Taylor Hall sent another homer to left field. Katie Ferguson then singled to center field and Yannone followed with a double down the left field line to score Ferguson and bring the tally to 7-4 in favor of the Terriers.
BU added runs in the top of the fourth and sixth innings, both coming off the bat of Roesch. In the fourth, after Clendenny and O'Connor got on base with consecutive singles, Roesch swung for a base hit and advanced to second on the throw, allowing Clendenny to score. In the sixth, with O'Connor on base, Roesch drove a triple down the right field line to send O'Connor home and give BU a 9-4 lead that the Terriers would hold through the seventh to claim the victory.
The Terriers took the early lead in game two of the doubleheader, scoring their first run in the top of the second. Roesch got on base with a walk and Fernandez was hit by a pitch to put runners on first and second. Ekart used a sacrifice bunt to move the runners and Delgado walked to load the bases. Mask drove in the run with a sacrifice fly to right field to put BU up 1-0.
Following a 30 minute delay due to a disputed call, the game resumed and BU added another run in the top of the fourth. Fernandez began the frame with a walk before Kendra Meadows replaced her on the base to pinch run. Ekart got on base with a bunt which moved Meadows to second then Mask walked to load the bases. Casacci followed with her second sacrifice fly of the day to score Meadows and give BU a 2-0 lead.
The Terriers tacked on five runs in the top of the fifth inning to add to their lead. Volpano and Clendenny reached on back-to-back walks and O'Connor reached via an error by the second baseman to load the bases. Fernandez then stepped up the plate and hit her first career grand slam to left field. The Terriers added another run on a fielding error to lead 7-0 after five and a half innings.
UMBC scored its first run of the game in the bottom of the fifth with Hall doubling to left center with runners on first and second to drive in the run. BU responded in the top of the sixth with a trio of runs. Clendenny reached with a single to right center and advanced to third before scoring on a wild pitch. Then, with Ekart and Roesch on base, Delgado hit an RBI double to center field to put BU on top, 10-1.
UMBC could not muster any offense in the bottom of the sixth which led to the game ending via the mercy rule and BU claiming the 10-1 victory.
Sophomore Holli Floetker earned the win for BU in the second game to improve to 17-3 on the season. She struck out six batters and allowed one run in five innings of work before Tuthill pitched the final inning.
The Terriers will host the America East tournament at the BU Softball Field from Thursday, May 10 to Saturday, May 12. Check back to GoTerriers.com for more information.
