Boston University
1-0
Florida Atlantic
2-2
Seventh-Inning Rally Propels Terriers to 3-1 Upset Win at No. 23 Florida Atlantic
February 10, 2017 | Softball
FAU Kick-Off Classic Tournament Central
BOCA RATON, Fla. – With the help of eight strikeouts and a pair of two-out RBI singles in the top of the seventh, the Boston University softball team rallied for a 3-1 season-opening win at No. 23 Florida Atlantic on Friday night. The two-run victory over the defending C-USA champion Owls gives the defending Patriot League champion Terriers their first win over a ranked opponent since 2012.
THE RUNDOWN
Final Score: Boston University - 3, #23 Florida Atlantic - 1
Records: BU (1-0), FAU (2-2)
Venue: FAU Softball Stadium – Boca Raton, Fla.
Postgame Comments: Coach Waters
WP: Akers (4.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 3 K)
LP: Wilson (7.0 IP, 10 H, 3 R, 2 K)
BU Leaders: Sahlinger (2-3 AB, 1 R, 1 RBI), Levine (2-2 AB, 1 RBI), Overly (3.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 5 K, 1 BB)
FAU Leaders: Lochten (2-2 AB, 1 R, 4 SBs)
TURNING POINT
- Down 1-0 in the top of the seventh, the Terriers rallied with three runs off three hits, and senior Makinna Akers retired the side in the bottom half.
- Sophomore Alex Heinen led off with a single and scored when FAU mishandled a grounder from senior Gabi Martinez and then threw it away during a potential rundown.
- After Martinez advanced to second on a ground out, junior Kaitlin Sahlinger and senior Rachel Levine hit back-to-back two-out RBI singles to grab the lead for good.
- In its second game of the night following a 2-0 win over NC State, FAU took the lead in the bottom of the first when Emily Lochten singled and stole the remaining three bags for a 1-0 lead.
- The Owls totaled four hits the rest of the game but would never get a runner past second after Lochten's display of dazzling speed.
- BU had a pair of hits in both the third and fifth but were unable to advance past second as well until the seventh inning.
- The Terriers collected their first win over a ranked opponent since edging then-No. 23 Syracuse, 1-0, in Florida during the 2012 season ... Earlier that year, BU also beat then-No. 25 South Florida, 5-3.
- Junior Sydni Overly earned the start and posted five strikeouts against one walk through three innings of work, and Akers scattered two hits over the final four innings with a pair of strikeouts.
- BU avenged last year's 4-3 eight-inning loss at Florida Atlantic, who was unranked at the time but had a 13-1 record.
- BU will continue the FAU Kick-Off Classic on Saturday (Feb. 11) against North Florida at 3:45 p.m. and then meet Bethune-Cookman at 6 p.m.
%20(1).png&width=84&height=84&quality=100&type=webp)
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Akers, Makinna (1-0)
L: Wilson, A (0-2)
Batting:
RBI: Sahlinger, Kaitlin 1 ; Levine, Rachel 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Heinen, Alex 1 ; Martinez, Gabi 1 ; Sahlinger, Kaitlin 1
SB: Wong, Emma 1
Batting:
SH: Rickey, D. 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Lochten, E. 1
SB: Lochten, E. 4
CS: Lochten, E. 1 ; Palmer, M. 1
