FULLERTON, Calf. – Continuing the Easton Invitational, the Boston University softball team team fell in a doubleheader to 2018 NCAA participants Long Beach State and defending Big East champion DePaul on Friday afternoon at Cal State Fullerton's Anderson Family Field.
Highlighted by Ole Miss transfer Alyssa Gonzalez's seven-RBI performance, the 49ers (9-14) rolled to a 9-0 win before the Blue Demons (18-6) used a pair of RBI doubles to hand the Terriers (11-12) a second defeat on the day, 4-2. Senior
Alex Heinen led BU with two singles, while classmate
Emily Morrow had the other single.
GAME 1: LBSU 9, BU 0
HOW IT HAPPENED
- A 2018 NCAA at-large bid recipient from the Big West Conference, LBSU started off with a walk, double and two-out three-run homer by Gonzalez against freshman Emily Gant (2-5) for a 3-0 advantage.
- The Terriers drew a combined five walks over the first two innings but were unable to get on the scoreboard.
- The 49ers extended the lead to 6-0 in the third with the help of Gonzalez's two-run homer, prompting junior Kali Magane to enter the circle.
- Magane kept LBSU from adding more runs until the seventh when Gonzalez followed a teammate's RBI double with a two-RBI single for the 9-0 advantage.
- Trying to mount a rally, freshman Nicole Amodio was hit by a pitch and then advanced to second on a fielding error.
- Heinen broke up Cal Baptist transfer Ashley Coleman's (6-6) no-hit bid with a one-out single to load the bases.
- Coleman though claimed the shutout, as BU was caught trying to advance on a wild pitch.
GAME 2: DePaul 4, BU 2
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Like the 49ers, the Blue Demons struck quickly with a two-out extra-base hit, this time an RBI double against sophomore Ali DuBois (8-5).
- Heinen led off the bottom half with a single and advanced to third when DePaul mishandled Morrow's sac bunt.
- Senior Madi Killebrew followed with an RBRI sac bunt, and senior Alexa Ponce added an RBI sac fly to grab a 2-1 lead.
- After striking out twice in the second against DuBois, the Blue Demons jumped out in the third with a walk, RBI single and RBI double to prompt Gant to enter the circle again.
- In the bottom of the third, Morrow hit a one-out single and took second on Killebrew's walk, but Natalie Halvorson (10-3) earned back-to-back lineouts to end the threat.
- Halvorson and Krista Dalgarn (2 SV) retired the next 12 Terriers to preserve the victory, which included an RBI single in the seventh.
DOUBLEHEADER NOTES
- Morrow, freshman Aliyah Huerta-Leipner and Killebrew drew two walks apiece.
- BU met DePaul for the first time in program history and dropped to 0-3 all-time against the 49ers.
- The Terriers are now on a seven-game losing streak but five of the losses have come against 2018 NCAA participants and four of the losses are by a combined six runs.
NEXT UP: COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON AND IOWA STATE
- The Terriers will conclude the California trip by facing the Cougars at 1:30 p.m. ET and then the Cyclones at 3:30 p.m. ET.
- BU has never faced Charleston before and won the lone meeting against ISU in 2015.