April 12, 2014

Photo Gallery  | Game 1 Box (L, 4-2) | Game 2 Box (L, 6-5)

Sunday Links: Live Stats | Watch on PLN (tape delay)

WORCESTER, Mass. - Resuming the Patriot League schedule, the Boston University softball team dropped a pair of games at Holy Cross by a combined three runs on Saturday afternoon. After pulling out a 4-2 victory in the first match-up between the two teams since 2011, the Crusaders (7-15, 5-3 PL) scored two unearned runs in the bottom of the seventh to escape with a 6-5 win and doubleheader sweep, as the Terriers (19-18, 4-4 PL) saw their losing streak extended to four games.

Senior Chelsea Kehr led the Terriers with a combined four hits with two RBIs. Senior Brittany Clendenny tallied three hits, including two doubles, to finish with four RBIs, while freshman Moriah Connolly posted three hits, four stolen bases and four runs scored.

Sophomore Lauren Hynes (12-13) earned the start in the first contest and allowed all three runs off four hits in the third inning. Freshman Makinna Akers pitched the last three innings in relief, allowing an insurance run in the fifth after BU cut the deficit to one in the top half. Akers then went five innings to start the second contest, giving up four runs off seven hits. Sophomore Melanie Russell (3-3) made her first appearance since March 8 in the sixth inning and was undone by two defensive errors in the seventh to collect the loss despite not allowing a hit.

The Terriers had their chance to grab the lead in the first game during the second inning. After singles by Kehr and senior Amy Ekart, junior Emily Felbaum drew a one-out walk to load the bases. Gennifer Durham (3-8) got out of the jam by inducing a strikeout and foul out.

The Crusaders took the lead in the bottom of the third on Emily Jarvis' RBI double. She scored on a single by Sarah Free, who eventually reached home on a throwing error.

BU finally struck in the fifth on Clendenny's two-out two-RBI double that plated freshman Brittany Younan and Connolly. However, Holy Cross pushed the lead back to two on an RBI single down the right field line in the bottom half. Durham only allowed one hit in the final two winnings to defeat the Terriers.

To start the second game, Connolly drew a walk and eventually scored on Kehr's single up the middle. After Holy Cross tied the game with a double and RBI in the second, the Terriers moved ahead 4-1 in the third. Clendenny and Kehr hit back-to-back doubles before Hynes plated pinch runner Kendra Meadows from second on a single.

BU's bats were silenced by Julia Barrett (4-3) for the next three innings, allowing the Crusaders to tie the game with a run in the bottom of the third and two runs in the fifth. Colleen Ahern delivered the blows both times with two outs, first hitting a single and then crushing a two-RBI double to right center.

The Terriers grabbed the lead back in the top of the seventh. Connolly got an infield single, stole second, reached third on Younan's sacrifice bunt and scored on Clendenny's RBI single.

Trailing 5-4, Holy Cross would claim the victory without a hit in the bottom half. Two consecutive infield errors put two runners in scoring position. After getting a strikeout, Russell induced an infield grounder, but Sarah Free reached home to beat the throw and tag to tie the game.

With runners at the corners, the Crusaders put the ball in play again and took advantage of an infield error to score the game-winning run.

The two teams will face off in the rubber match on Sunday (April 13) with first pitch slated for 12 p.m.