May 9, 2014

Box Score

Postgame Comments: Kehr | Martinez

Saturday Links: Watch on PLN | Live Stats | @BUGameDay 

PL Tournament Notes | PL Tournament Central

BETHLEHEM, Pa. - Keyed by senior Chelsea Kehr's three-run blast in the first, the Boston University softball team rolled to an 8-0 victory over Army on Friday morning at Lehigh in the second round of the Patriot League tournament. With the six-inning run-rule victory, the No. 2 seed Terriers (34-19) advance to Saturday's championship round needing just one win for the automatic NCAA bid.

They will face No. 3 Bucknell, who eliminated No. 1 Lehigh, 3-1, and the No. 4 Black Knights (23-28), 3-2, after the Terriers' morning victory. BU won the first game of the Patriot League tournament against the Bison back on Thursday, 4-3, in eight innings.

Kehr's homer against Army was the first of the season, as she finished with four RBIs after posting an RBI double in the third. Freshman Gabi Martinez contributed a pair of doubles to plate two runs and help BU pull away from Army.

Sophomore Melanie Russell (11-3) collected her second complete-game win of the tournament by limiting the Black Knights to just five hits. She overcame three hit-by-pitches and two walks by earning six strikeouts.

Coming off Thursday's 5-1 win over Lehigh in which she went nine innings, Caroline Smith (12-12) was unable to get into any rhythm against the Terriers. Senior Jayme Mask singled to lead off the game and classmate Brittany Clendenny earned a walk after freshman Brittany Younan's sacrifice bunt. Kehr followed with a three-run blast over the center field fence.

The Terriers added four more runs in the third. Clendenny walked again and scored on Kehr's double to right center from first. Junior Mandy Fernandez followed with a single allowing pinch runner Kendra Meadows to reach third. Junior Emily Felbaum hit a RBI bunt, and Martinez hit a bases-clearing double for the 7-0 advantage.

Needing one more run for the run-rule effect, Martinez led off the sixth with a double double the left field line. She took third on senior Amy Ekart's sacrifice bunt and then scored on Mask's sacrifice fly for the 8-0 victory.

The Terriers will next face Bucknell at 12 p.m. on Saturday (May 10) on the Patriot League Network. A win would give them their seventh NCAA bid, and a loss would force a second game to be played immediately afterwards with the PL championship on the line.