April 6, 2013
Box Scores: Game One (W, 4-1) | Game Two (L, 5-4)
Sunday Live Stats
WEST HARTFORD, Conn. - Opening a five-game road trip, the Boston University softball team split a doubleheader at America East foe Hartford on Saturday afternoon. The Terriers triumphed in the first contest, 4-1, before the Hawks held off a late BU rally to win the second, 5-4.
Snapping the Terriers' 10-game win streak in the series, the Hawks move to 11-21 (3-5 AE), while BU now sits at 11-18-1 (2-3 AE).
Senior Whitney Tuthill (9-10) pitched both games for the Terriers and allowed 12 hits and just three earned runs in a combined 10 innings of work. However, the defense committed four errors in the second contest, leading to three unearned runs for the Hawks.
Both juniors Jayme Mask and Amy Ekart had three hits apiece with Mask contributing an RBI single in each contest. Classmate Brittany Clendenny tallied two in the doubleheader, highlighted by a three-run blast during the second game to help the Terriers cut a four-run deficit to one in the fifth inning.
In the first contest, neither team scored until the fifth inning when freshman Lauren Hynes singled to right, advanced to third on sophomore Mandy Fernandez's double and scored on Mask's two-out infield single. The Hawks though quickly tied the game with a run off three hits.
Falling to 6-10, Zuzana Kudernatscho struck out 10 Terriers but gave up three runs in the final two innings. Junior Megan Volpano led off the sixth with a single and was replaced by sophomore pinch runner Kendra Meadows. After successfully moving to second on Ekart's sacrifice bunt, Meadows took advantage of a defensive miscue in the outfield during Clendenny's single to reach home and give BU the lead for good. Clendenny rushed to third while the ball was misplayed and later added the third run on senior Emily Roesch's bunt single.
To give Tuthill more breathing room, Mask led off the seventh with a single and then stole second before reaching home on Volpano's single to short. The Hawks tried to battle back with two singles, but Tuthill got out of the jam with a groundout and infield pop up for her 12th complete-game performance of the season.
The Terriers scored first again in the second game during the second inning. They had the bases loaded after two walks and a single by sophomore Emily Felbaum with two outs. Mask hit an infield single to drive home Roesch, but Kaitlyn Meade (3-7) prevented anymore damage by forcing a pop up.
After a fly out to center, Fried reached first on an error and then scored on a two-run homer by Melanie Maxwell to push UH ahead, 2-1. One inning later, the Hawks loaded the bases and used a single along with an error in the outfield to create a four-run cushion. They tried to add a fifth run, but Felbaum threw a strike from right field to Ekart at home to tag out Jackie Kelly, who failed to score from second on a single.
Hynes replaced Tuthill for the final three innings and struck out three Hawks while not allowing a hit. BU began mounting a comeback in the top of the fifth inning when Volpano walked and Ekart singled. Clendenny followed them by launching the ball over the fence for the three-run homer.
The Terriers managed to put Felbaum in scoring position after her single and Mask's sacrifice bunt in the sixth inning, but Meade got back-to-back grounders to prevent BU from tying the game.
BU and UH will face off again in the rubber match on Sunday (April 7) at 12 p.m.
