Boaz One-Hits Lehigh to Push Terriers to PL Championship Round

Friday, May 13

Boston, MA

11 AM

Boston University

40-15

Lehigh (PL Semifinals)

27-18-1

Lehigh

Boston University

Photo by: Robert Branning

Boaz One-Hits Lehigh to Push Terriers to PL Championship Round

May 13, 2022 | Softball

Box Score Box Score Highlights Coach Waters Postgame Boaz Postgame

BOSTON - Junior Allison Boaz pitched a one-hit shutout and the Terriers scored the game's lone run in the third inning ,as the top-seeded Boston University softball team advanced to the championship round of the Patriot League tournament with a 1-0 win over Lehigh on Friday afternoon at BU Softball Field.

With their second one-run win of the tournament and fifth overall this season, the Terriers (40-15) reached 40 wins for the third time in program history and first since the 2012 squad went 41-16, as the Mountain Hawks dropped to 27-18-1.

Sophomore Kayla Roncin, the 2022 Patriot League Player of the Year, drove in the game's only run with her 80th hit of the season, tying the school record held by two-time All-American April Setterlund ('11). Junior Audrey Sellers scored the lone run and was 1-for-1 on the day, while graduate student Jen Horita went 3-for-3 to account for half of the six combined hits in the contest.

Boaz (22-4) earned a pair of strikeouts and issued two walks while giving up just one hit in the fourth inning to secure her eighth shutout of the season. In the top of the second inning with the game scoreless, Boaz and the Terriers were able to successfully get out of a two-on, no-out jam before taking the lead one inning later.

Saturday's championship round will be a rematch as Lehigh topped Colgate, 5-1, in Friday's second elimination game.

THE SETUP

After Lehigh went down in order in the first, BU drew a one-out walk in the bottom half of the inning before grounding into a double play.
Lehigh's best opportunity came in the second when Addie Kittle led off with a walk before beating a throw to second on a sacrifice attempt from Brooke Cannon, creating a two-on, no-out situation.
The Mountain Hawks once again attempted a sacrifice bunt and successfully advanced pinch-runner Lindsey Martin to third to put runners on the corners with one out.
Roncin then fielded a sharp grounder and elected to throw home, barely nabbing Martin at the plate as Sellers applied the tag just in time.
Boaz got out of the jam by recording one of her two strikeouts on the day.
BU got runners on second and third with two outs in the bottom of the second but were unable to get on the board.
After a 1-2-3 top of the third, the Terriers successfully opened the scoring in the bottom half beginning with a leadoff single by Sellers.
Back-to-back ground outs advanced Sellers to third, and Roncin hit a 0-1 pitch to left center for the record-tying hit and the game's only RBI.
The only hit given up by Boaz was a two-out single in the fourth by Cannon.
The Terriers threatened to score an insurance run in the fourth after Sellers was hit by a pitch, allowing the bases to be loaded with two outs, but Lehigh's Gabriella Nori induced a groundout to end the threat.
Boaz retired eight of the final nine batters, allowing a one-out walk in the sixth.

Lauren Keleher didn't let the fence get in her way! 😱#NCAASoftball #SCtop10 x 🎥 @TerrierSoftball pic.twitter.com/0ErjrKSGg6
— NCAA Softball (@NCAASoftball) May 13, 2022

GAME NOTES

Boaz owns a 0.24 ERA over her last four outings and her 22 wins are the ninth-most in a season at BU.
Boaz earned BU's first 1-0 victory in a conference tournament since Ashlee Freeman shut out America East rival Maine, 1-0, in nine innings in 2005.
The one-hitter was BU's fourth-ever in the PL tourney and first to go seven innings after both Ali DuBois (2018 vs. Lehigh and Army) and Melanie Russell (2016 vs. Army) accomplished the feat in run-rule victories.
The Terriers are now 19-2 all-time in the PL tourney, including a perfect 11-0 home record.
BU left six runners on base, while Lehigh stranded four.
Nora went the distance for the Mountain Hawks, allowing five hits and a walk while hitting two batters.
Fifteen of Lehigh's 21 outs were ground outs.

UP NEXT

For the fifth straight time, BU and Lehigh will meet in the championship round of the Patriot League tournament.
The Terriers and Mountain Hawks will face off at 12 p.m. on Saturday (May 14).
BU needs one win for its fourth consecutive title and automatic NCAA berths, while Lehigh will need back-to-back wins on Saturday to earn the crown.