Boston University
8-11
Southern Utah
3-23
Terriers Claim DH Sweep over Yale, Southern Utah
March 12, 2016 | Softball
Box Scores: Yale (W, 7-3) | Southern Utah (W, 5-0)
RIVERSIDE, Calif. - Highlighted by two strong pitching performances from seniors Melanie Russell and Lauren Hynes, the Boston University softball team concluded its spring break trip in California with a doubleheader sweep over Yale (7-3) and Southern Utah (5-0) on Saturday afternoon.
With a perfect 4-0 record at UC Riverside's Mizuno Invitational, the Terriers improve to 8-11. BU finished with a 16-8 advantage in hits while recording a combined 15 strikeouts against the Bulldogs (2-5) and Thunderbirds (3-23).
On the offensive end, six different individuals tallied at least two hits on the day with sophomore Jilee Schanda and freshman Emily Morrow both earning two RBIs apiece.
Yale jumped out ahead with three runs in the second by taking advantage of three straight walks from junior Makinna Akers. The Bulldogs recorded two RBI hits against Hynes in relief and added another run off an error for the 3-0 lead.
BU started its rally in the third by loading the bases with two outs on a pair of walks and single. Morrow singled to center to plate both junior Moriah Connolly and sophomore Emma Wong. The Terriers quickly tied the game in the fourth, as junior Gabi Martinez scored from first on a misplayed Hynes sacrifice bunt.
Schanda then tripled to center and scored on junior Brittany Younan's sacrifice fly to give the Terriers the lead for good. Yale tried to retake the lead in the fifth by loading the bases, but Hynes induced a double play on an infield grounder.
Hynes helped her own cause in the bottom half by earning an RBI single, and BU added two more runs with the help of a pair of Yale errors to seal the victory.
The second game was a pitchers' duel that lasted five innings until BU broke the scoreless deadlock in the top of the sixth. The Thunderbirds though had their opportunity to get on the board first in the fifth when they put two runners in scoring position with no outs on a single, walk and illegal pitch.
Russell ended the threat by striking out the next two hitters and inducing an infield pop up. Younan led off the sixth with a single and scored when Southern Utah committed an error on a sacrifice bunt by Wong.
The Terriers put the game away with four runs off five hits in the seventh. Schanda delivered a two-RBI single to right. Connolly and sophomore Kaitlin Sahlinger both added another RBI to extend the lead to 5-0. Russell followed with two more strikeouts in the bottom half to finish with nine total, one shy of her personal best.
Having played 19 games on the road, BU will next host Providence in the home opener Wednesday (March 16) at 4 p.m.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Russell, Melanie (1-5)
L: Hostetler (1-4)
Batting:
RBI: Connolly, Moriah 1 ; Sahlinger, Kaitlin 1 ; Schanda, Jilee 2
SH: Wong, Emma 1 ; Hynes, Lauren 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Younan, Brittany 2 ; Fasehun, Yinka 1 ; Martinez, Gabi 1 ; Schanda, Jilee 1
SB: Connolly, Moriah 1
CS: Schanda, Jilee 1
Batting:
SH: Nelson 1
Base Running:
SB: Reed 1
HBP: Sweet 1
