Aliyah Huerta-Leipner makes contact with a full swing on a pitch at Coastal Carolina.
Bob Stoner
1
UMass UMASS 10-13
3
Winner Boston University BOSTONU 12-14
UMass UMASS
10-13
1
Final
3
Boston University BOSTONU
12-14
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
UMass UMASS 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 6 0
Boston University BOSTONU 0 0 1 0 0 2 X 3 6 0

W: DuBois, Ali (9-6) L: OLIVER, Kiara (3-10)

Game Recap: Softball |

Freshman Duo Returns Softball to Winning Ways in 3-1 Victory over UMass

BOSTON – Highlighted by freshman Emily Gant's first-career homer and classmate Aliyah Huerta-Leipner's go-ahead two-RBI double, the Boston University softball team won its home opener against Atlantic-10 preseason favorite UMass, 3-1, on Wednesday afternoon.

Sophomore and reigning Patriot League Pitcher of the Year Ali DuBois (9-6) tallied eight strikeouts to come out ahead in the pitchers' duel against reigning A-10 Pitcher of the year Kiara Oliver (3-10), who tallied 10 strikeouts but gave up two costly extra-base hits. Playing at home for the first time since eliminating Lehigh for the automatic NCAA berth last May, BU improved to 12-14, while the Minutewomen dropped to 10-13.

The win was much needed for a BU squad that had lost nine straight games in California, including six by a combined eight runs, with the offense producing six total runs during the streak. Senior Alexa Ponce helped provide a spark with her eighth two-hit performance of the season, while Gant became the fifth Terrier to go deep.


HOW IT HAPPENED
  • UMass stranded a runner on base in each of the first two innings and struck out twice to begin the third before grabbing a 1-0 lead off Erin Stacevicz's double and Kaycee Carbone's RBI single up the middle.
  • The Minutewomen then drew a walk to put two on base, but DuBois prevented further damage with another strikeout.
  • Oliver had retired eight straight Terriers to start the contest and was seemingly on her way to a ninth consecutive out with a 1-2 count in the bottom half before Gant battled back for a full-count solo homer to center field.
  • BU tried to take the lead in the fourth following Ponce's two-out single and Huerta-Leipner's walk, but Oliver earned a strikeout to end the threat.
  • UMass led off the fifth and sixth with singles but on the ensuing at-bats, the Terriers were able to get the force out at second to prevent the Minutewomen from retaking the lead.
  • Sophomore Marina Sylvestri started the sixth with a hard-hit single down the right field line and advanced to second on Ponce's one-out single up the middle.
  • Huerta-Leipner then ripped a 1-2 pitch to left center for the 3-1 advantage.
  • DuBois kept the ball in the infield during the seventh with three straight grounders to seal the come-from-behind victory.
GAME NOTES
  • The Terriers had two extra-base hits after totaling three during the previous nine games in California.
  • DuBois has now gone the distance seven times this year and has recorded eight or more strikeouts in five contests.
  • Nicole Amodio was the third freshman to contribute a hit on the day.
  • BU improved to 6-15 all-time against UMass and has now won back-to-back games (7-4 at Hofstra in 2018) for the first time since opening the series with victories in both 1994 and 1996 (NCAA elimination game).
  • The one run was the fewest allowed against UMass since a 1-0 loss in 2012 and the fewest in a victory since the 1-0 NCAA win in 1996.
  • The Terriers are 2-4 all-time at home against UMass and have won two consecutive contests following a 10-6 victory in 2015.
NEXT UP: NOR'EASTER CLASSIC
  • BU will head to the University of Hartford for three games over the weekend against the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC).
  • The Terriers will first face Iona on Saturday (March 23) at 1 p.m. and then Manhattan at 3 p.m. before battling Siena on Sunday (March 24) at 11 a.m.
  • BU beat Iona twice last year with an 8-0 victory at Hartford and 4-2(9) win at Central Connecticut State.
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