Terriers Strike Late in 6-2 Season-Opening Triumph Over Northern Illinois

Friday, February 9

Boca Raton, FL

11:15 AM

Boston University

1-0

Northern Illinois

0-2

Boston University

Northern Illinois

Photo by: Steve McLaughlin

Terriers Strike Late in 6-2 Season-Opening Triumph Over Northern Illinois

February 9, 2018 | Softball

Box Score Box Score FAU Tournament Central

BOCA RATON, Fla. – Boosted by two-RBI hits from juniors Alexa Ponce and Alex Heinen, the Boston University softball team rallied late for a 6-2 season-opening victory over Northern Illinois on Friday morning at the FAU First-Pitch Classic.

Freshman Ali Dubois (1-0) went the distance for the Terriers in her debut, scattering five hits with the help of five strikeouts. Both runs allowed were unearned in the matchup featuring the 2017 Patriot League and Mid-American Conference runner-ups.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Benefiting from two BU errors, NIU got on the board in the bottom of the first with two runs on a failed pick-off attempt and an RBI-single.
The Terriers cut the deficit in half in the top of the third when Ponce hit a lead-off single and junior pinch-runner Emily Morrow scored on senior Brittany Younan's triple.
Dubois ran into trouble in the bottom of the fourth with a pair of lead-off walks and a one-out wild pitch, but she bounced back by getting two Huskies to swing and miss to keep the deficit at 2-1.
After stranding a pair of runners in scoring position during the middle innings, the Terriers broke through in the top of the sixth with three runs off three hits and a NIU error.
Keyed by Heinen's lead-off double, BU loaded the bases with one out before senior Kaitlin Sahlinger laid a perfect RBI sacrifice bunt and Ponce delivered a two-out, two-RBI single up the middle.
Facing a two-run deficit, NIU loaded the bases in response with a walk and back-to-back singles, but Dubois again stood tall, inducing a pop up, strikeout and line out to first to end the threat.
Younan and senior Emma Wong led off the seventh with singles and then recorded a double-steal before scoring on Heinen's RBI double.
The Terriers recorded a quick 1-2-3 in the bottom half to seal the victory.

GAME NOTES

Dubois became the first BU freshman since 2011 America East Pitcher of the Year Holli Floetker ('14) to pitch a complete-game victory in the season opener ... Both coincidentally tallied five strikeouts apiece in their respective wins.
Eight Terriers combined for 12 hits with freshmen Marina Sylvestri and Maya Kipfmiller both collecting their first-career singles.
A preseason All-Patriot League selection, Younan went 2-of-4 with an RBI and run scored after missing all of last season due to injury ... Her final single in the seventh came on her 500th-career at-bat ... She now ranks tied-for-ninth all-time in the BU record book with nine triples.
Sophomore pitcher Kali Magane made an appearance as a pinch-runner and scored her first-ever run in the sixth.
The Terriers have earned back-to-back season-opening victories for the first time since 2007-08 ... They also recorded their most runs in a season opener since a 12-8 loss to Illinois State in 2012 and their most in a season-opening victory since an 11-0 win over George Mason.
BU met the Huskies for the first time since a 5-1 victory in 2004 at South Florida.

NEXT UP: DUKE & BETHUNE-COOKMAN

The Terriers will continue the FAU First-Pitch Classic on Saturday (Feb. 10) against Duke (9 a.m.) and 2017 MEAC runner-up Bethune-Cookman (11:15 a.m.).
Competing in their inaugural season as a varsity program, the Blue Devils recorded a split on Thursday against the host Owls (4-3, 2-3) and dropped a 5-2 decision to Big Ten runner-up Ohio State on Friday afternoon.
BU will face BCU for the first time since suffering a 5-1 loss last season at FAU.