Boston University
Georgia Southern
Terriers Earn Split on First Day of Citrus Classic
February 23, 2013 | Softball
Feb. 22, 2013
Box Scores: Georgia Southern (W, 2-1 / 8 inn.) | Wisconsin (L, 11-3 / 5 inn.)
ORLANDO, Fla. - After rallying from behind for the thrilling 2-1 extra-inning victory over Georgia Southern, the Boston University softball team fell to Wisconsin, 11-3, on Friday afternoon to open the 2013 Citrus Classic at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex.
Pitching her 30th-career complete game, senior Whitney Tuthill (1-0) scattered five hits over eight innings while striking out nine Eagles. Junior catcher Amy Ekart made two clutch plays in the final inning to help the defending America East champion Terriers improve to 4-0 all-time against reigning Southern Conference champion Georgia Southern (6-4). She tagged out a potential game-winning runner at home on a throw from sophomore right fielder Emily Felbaum and followed with a one-out walk-off RBI single.
Coming off its first no-hitter since 2001 with a 3-0 win over Georgia Southern in the second game of the day, Wisconsin (6-1) scored all 11 runs in the first two innings to defeat the Terriers in the first meeting between the two programs since 1999.
BU did not need long to get first-year head coach Kathryn Gleason her first win with the help of strong pitching from Tuthill and timely hitting from the lineup. Tuthill prevented the Eagles from reaching second until the sixth inning with Ekart throwing out GSU's Andrea Tarashuk on an attempted steal to end the second.
Breanna McLendon opened the sixth with an infield single and eventually reached third after a sacrifice bunt and ground out. However, Tuthill got out of the jam with the strikeout.
GSU's Allie Miles (1-1) had similar success in the bottom of the inning, as junior Brittany Clendenny reached first off an error and eventually got to third following a sacrifice bunt and stolen base. Miles induced a pop up and strikeout to keep the score at 0-0 heading into the seventh.
The Eagles got on the board with a home run by Tabby Douberley and then watched BU start the bottom of the seventh with a groundout. Facing a one-run deficit with one out, the Terriers kept their composure, as sophomore Kendra Meadows walked and advanced to second off a Felbaum single to right field.
Junior Jayme Mask then recorded a sacrifice hit to place runners at second and third, putting the game in the hands of fifth-year senior Emily Roesch. The 2012 All-Conference First Team honoree delivered, singling up the middle to bring home Meadows to send the game to the eighth inning.
Both teams started with a runner at second base, as the Eagles entered their fourth extra-inning game of the season after an earlier 2-1 loss against No. 1 Alabama. Following a walk, Tuthill recorded her ninth strikeout of the game.
When Alexa Lewis singled to right field on the next at-bat, the Eagles tried to put pressure on Felbaum by waving Kaitlyn Johnson home. The sophomore came up big though with the throw to Ekart for the out. Tuthill then got the fly out to head to the bottom of the eighth inning with the score still 1-1.
Volpano recorded her second sacrifice bunt of the game to put Clendenny at third with one out. Ekart then singled to left for the walk-off victory, as the Terriers finished the game with two runs, seven hits and one error.
BU's offense scored a run in each of the final three innings against Wisconsin, but the Badgers' offense had already done its damage by then, plating 11 runs off 10 hits against senior Erin Schuppert (0-1). Meghan McIntosh (1-1) overcame four walks by striking out five Terriers for the win.
Mask led BU with two hits, including an RBI single in the third. Sophomore Mandy Fernandez and Clendenny each contributed a RBI single in the fourth and fifth inning, respectively.
The Terriers will return to action on Saturday (Feb. 23) against the Badgers at 12:15 p.m., followed by a rematch against Georgia Southern at 2:30 p.m.
