BOSTON – Boosted by junior
Nicole Amodio's 5-for-5 performance at the plate and a combined 18 strikeouts from the pitching staff, the Boston University softball team earned a home doubleheader sweep over Holy Cross on Friday afternoon.
The Terriers (26-2, 15-1 PL) broke a 3-3 deadlock with eight runs in the sixth inning for the game-one run-rule victory and then posted a 12-2 advantage in hits in the second for a 7-0 game-two victory against the Crusaders (6-12, 2-8 {PL).
Junior
Emily Gant (4-2) claimed her second consecutive shutout at home with a season-high 11 strikeouts after senior
Ali DuBois (18-0) posted seven in her matchup. Amodio contributed two of BU's five extra-base hits on the day with a pair of doubles and was one of five to contribute at least two RBIs.
Senior
Marina Sylvestri tallied a team-high four RBIs, while freshman
Alex-Rose Molinar recorded three of her own. Sophomore
Caitlin Coker went 4-for-8 and tied Gant at three runs scored with senior
Jen Horita contributing two RBIs and two runs after batting 3-for-5.
GAME 1: BU 11, Holy Cross 3 (6 inn.)
THE TURNING POINT
- After Holy Cross tied the game in the top of the sixth, the Terriers had their second largest offensive explosion of the season with eight runs off four hits.
- Collecting a pair of hits in the decisive inning, Molinar followed junior Aliyah Huerta-Leipner's well-earned walk and Horita's mishandled sac bunt by crushing an 0-1 pitch to center for the two-RBI double.
- Amodio followed with a hard-hit double of her own to extend the lead to 6-3.
- The Terriers kept the pressure on with four walks, Huerta-Leipner's RBI sac fly and back-to-back RBI singles from Horita and Molinar for the win.
THE SETUP
- Coker led off the first with a double and took third on freshman Lauren Keleher's grounder before scoring on Sylvestri's RBI sac fly.
- In a sign of things to come, Erin Bengston doubled to right in the fourth for Holy Cross but was tagged out trying to reach third on a grounder to short.
- BU came back in the bottom half with freshman Lauren Nett walking to first, taking second on Huerta-Leipner's sac bunt and scoring on Horita's RBI single up the middle.
- Amodio delivered a two-out RBI single to extend the lead to 3-0.
- After the Crusaders placed two on base with the help of a fielding error and single in the top of the sixth, Bengston homered to left to tie the game, 3-3.
- Holy Cross had a second runner reach base via error and had her in scoring position following a wild pitch, but DuBois kept the game tied with a swinging strikeout.
GAME 2: BU 7, Holy Cross 0
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Like the first game, BU struck first in the first inning, as Sylvestri singled to right to plate Coker from second and then drew a rundown to help Gant score the second run.
- Huerta-Leipner extended the lead to 3-0 with an RBI single.
- BU added another run in the fourth with Molinar earning a walk, taking second on Amodio's sac bunt, grabbing third on Coker's infield single and scoring on a throwing error toward second as Coker earned the stolen base.
- Gant pitched 4.1 no-hit innings before Jessica Mott hit a slow dribbler down the first base line for an infield single.
- Gant then allowed a walk but maintained the shutout with a ground out and swinging strikeout.
- Amodio ignited a three-run sixth with a lead-off double that was followed by Coker's RBI single.
- Sylvestri and junior Julia Handfield both plated a run to put the lead at 7-0.
- Gant added two more strikeouts in the seventh to overcome a hit-by-pitch and Mott's second single for the win.
DOUBLEHEADER NOTES
- Gant earned her second solo shutout and BU's 11th overall of the season following her 8-0(5) win over Army back on April 10.
- Amodio became the fifth Terrier to earn three hits in a game this season before Coker became the first to accomplish the feat a second time in the second contest.
- With her two RBI hits in the sixth inning of game one, Molinar became the fourth Terrier to collect three RBIs in a game this season.
- DuBois is now just five strikeouts away from becoming the fourth in PL history to reach 600 total.
- Keleher earned her second triple of the season and the Terriers' seventh overall in the second game.
- BU's 18 combined runs tied the most in a DH this season after the Terriers won at Providence, 10-0 and 8-3, on March 8.
- The Terriers are now on a 14-game win streak against Holy Cross with a 41-8 all-time lead in the series.
NEXT UP: Holy Cross
- The Terriers will visit the Crusaders for a doubleheader on Saturday (April 24) with the ESPN+ broadcast set to begin at 12 p.m.
- BU is 21-7 all-time at Holy Cross with three-game sweeps in 2016 and 2018.