BOSTON – With the help of 21 combined strikeouts from the pitching staff and two key extra-base hits by senior Alex Heinen, the Boston University softball team opened Patriot League play with a home doubleheader sweep against in-state rival Holy Cross on Saturday afternoon.

Freshman Emily Gant (3-7) tallied 14 strikeouts against just one walk in a 7-1 game-one victory, and sophomore Ali DuBois (12-6) limited the Crusaders (3-21, 1-4 PL) to just two hits in the game-two 3-0 shutout win. Heinen went a combined 4-of-6 with a two-run homer and three runs scored to help the Terriers improve to 16-15 (2-0 PL).

GAME 1: BU 7, Holy Cross 1

HOW IT HAPPENED

• BU had a quality chance to get on the scoreboard in the first with senior Emily Morrow singling to the outfield and Heinen drawing a walk, but reigning PL Pitcher and Rookie of the Week Kelly Nelson (3-7) earned back-to-back strikeouts to end the threat.
• Isabel Gutierrez broke the scoreless deadlock in the third by fouling off three straight 1-2 pitches and sending the next one deep toward left for a solo homer.
• The Crusaders though would not have another runner reach second the rest of the game and quickly lost the lead in the bottom of the third.
• Morrow singled up the middle, and Heinen followed up by ripping Nelson's next pitch to left for the 2-1 lead.
• BU loaded the bases on freshman Aliyah Huerta-Leipner's walk, senior Alexa Ponce's single and senior Madi Killebrew's single.
• Sophomore Marina Sylvestri then sent a 1-2 pitch to left center to extend the lead to 4-1 and force a pitching change.
• Sylvestri helped BU add another run by stealing second and forcing a Holy Cross throw that allowed Killebrew to score from third.
• The Terriers added two more runs in the sixth on an RBI bunt single by Huerta-Leipner, who later drew a throw toward second to help Heinen score from third.
• Holy Cross earned its fourth hit in the seventh, but Gant recorded three strikeouts to prevent any thoughts of a rally.

GAME 2: BU 3, Holy Cross 0

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Crusaders had their chance to strike first again in the top of the second with a lead-off single, one-out walk and sacrifice bunt, but DuBois earned a strikeout to end the threat.
• The Terriers took the lead for good in the bottom half, as Killebrew singled through the left side, took second on Sylvestri's ground out and scored on freshman Nicole Amodio's two-out single to right center on a 1-2 pitch from Alexandra Held (0-11).
• Morrow and Heinen led off the third with back-to-back singles but were stranded in scoring position.
• Heinen came back in the fifth with a hard-hit triple to right center before scoring on Huerta-Leipner's RBI grounder to first.
• BU added one more run in the sixth, as Amodio walked to first, took second on senior Analisa Ruff's single down the left field line, reached third on Gant's grounder and stole home after Gant drew a throw toward second.
• DuBois sealed the win in the seventh with three ground outs.

DOUBLEHEADER NOTES

• With her two-run homer in the first game, Heinen tied former All-American April Setterlund's (11) program-record 140 RBIs.
• Heinen now owns seven homers in 31 games this season after totaling 13 in her first 163 appearances to move within one homer of No. 6 BU record holder Amy Ekart ('14).
• With her 40th career win, DuBois now owns sole possession of eighth place in the BU record book, two shy of Robyn Horrick ('02).
• Sylvestri, Morrow and Ponce all had three hits apiece.
• Huerta-Leipner, Heinen and Sylvestri all had two RBIs apiece.
• The Terriers are now 4-0 at home.

NEXT UP: HOLY CROSS

• The Terriers will conclude the weekend series on Sunday at 10 a.m. with the game starting earlier than normal to beat the expected afternoon rain.
• After losing the first two weekend series against Holy Cross since joining the PL in the summer of 2013, the Terriers have now won four straight with the help of 11 consecutive victories.