BOSTON – The pitching staff recorded 20 strikeouts and six Terriers recorded at least one RBI, as the Boston University softball team claimed a home doubleheader sweep against UMass Lowell on Wednesday evening.
With the pair of one-run victories, the Terriers (25-17) improved to a perfect 11-0 at the BU Softball Field, while the River Hawks fell to 20-14 after having their 12-game win streak snapped. Sophomore
Ali DuBois (17-8) and freshman
Emily Gant (7-7) held the nation's leading hitter Courtney Cashman (.556 avg.) to a combined 0-of-5 and two walks to help extend BU's own active win streak to five games.
In the game-one 4-3 victory, sophomore
Marina Sylvestri recorded two of BU's four two-out RBI singles, including the go-ahead at-bat in the sixth, as DuBois tallied eight strikeouts. In the game-two 3-2 win, freshman
Nicole Amodio blasted a walk-off double to right in the bottom of the ninth just before darkness enveloped the field. Gant fanned 11 River Hawks in eight innings of relief for the victory.
GAME 1: BU 4, UMass Lowell 3
TURNING POINT
- Facing a 3-2 deficit in the bottom of the fifth, freshman Aliyah Huerta-Leipner led off with a single down the right field line, took second on senior Emily Morrow's sac bunt and scored on senior Alexa Ponce's two-out RBI single to center.
- With runners at the corners and still two outs, Sylvestri singled to right to grab the lead for good.
- Trying to mount a rally, the River Hawks led off the sixth with a single and the seventh with a double but were unable to plate either runners against DuBois, who finished both innings with a strikeout.
THE SETUP
- UML's Olivia Labbe led off the game with a single and stole second but was stranded at third after DuBois induced a pair of ground outs and her first strikeout.
- Huerta-Leipner started the bottom half with a single ad then took second on a ground out before scoring on senior Madi Killebrew's two-out RBI single to left.
- Sylvestri followed Ponce's 12-pitch two-out walk with an RBI single up the middle for the 2-0 advantage.
- Sophomore Jen Horita added another single to center, but UML was able to get the ball home in time for a tag out.
- UML struck back by opening the third with back-to-back singles and then scoring a run on both an error and sacrifice fly.
- The River Hawks grabbed their first lead in the top of the fifth with the help of a lead-off walk, error and oe-out RBI single to center.
- UML had two runers in scoring position with two outs, but DuBois ended the threat with a strikeout to help set up BU's rally.
GAME 2: BU 3, UMass Lowell 2 (9 inn.)
HEADED TO EXTRA INNINGS
- Facing a 2-1 deficit with three outs remaining in the bottom of the seventh, Sylvestri doubled to center.
- Serving as a pinch runner, Gant took third on senior Analisa Ruff's deep fly ball to center and then scored on Horita's grounder to the opposite side of the field.
- After Gant recorded a quick 1-2-3 in the top of the eighth, BU loaded the bases with two outs on back-to-back singles by Heinen and Killebrew and Ponce's walk.
- Lovina Capria sent the game to the ninth inning by inducing an infield pop up.
- Knowing that this was the last inning due to darkness, the River Hawks hit a one-out double, but Gant kept the score tied with a strikeout and ground out.
- Ruff led off with a single up the middle on the first pitch, took second on Horita's grounder to first and scored on Amodio's double to right.
THE SETUP
- UML jumped out to a 1-0 advantage against starting freshman Julia Handfield with a single and one-out RBI double.
- The River Hawks added their final run in the second with a lead-off homer.
- Gant entered the circle and relief and opened with a ground out and back-to-back strikeouts.
- Morrow put the Terriers on the scoreboard in the fourth with her second homer of the season on a 2-0 pitch to right center.
- Heinen singled to right in the sixth and advanced to second on an error but was stranded at third.
DOUBLEHEADER NOTES
- BU finished with an 18-13 advantage in hits, but the River Hawks had a 5-3 edge in extra-base hits with four doubles.
- Heinen and Sylvestri led BU's offense with three hits apiece, while Sylvestri had a team-high two RBIs (both in game one).
- Gant reached double-digit strikeouts (11) for the third time this season after posting 15 against Iona and 14 against Holy Cross.
- DuBois had eight or more strikeouts for the eighth time this season.
- The Terriers are now 6-7 in one-run games ad 3-1 in extra inning games this year.
- In the second game, BU won for just the second time this season when trailing after the sixth with the previous win coming against Boston College.
- The Terriers finish the regular season 7-1 against in-state rivals with the lone loss a 4-2 mid-week decision at Harvard.
- BU improved to 14-2 all-time against the River Hawks with a 7-2 home record.
NEXT UP: LAFAYETTE
- The Terriers will resume Patriot League play at Lafayette with a three-game series over the weekend.
- BU will open a doubleheader against the Leopards on Saturday (April 20) with the Patriot League Network broadcast set for 12 p.m.
- The Terriers are 15-0 all-time against Lafayette and have shut out the Leopards in seven of the last nine games.