WORCESTER, Mass. – Highlighted by freshman
Kasey Ricard's first career no-hitter, the Boston University softball team completed the Patriot League opening series sweep at Holy Cross, 9-0 (6), on Monday afternoon.
With their sixth straight win and a 12-0 advantage in hits, the Terriers improve to 26-7 and 3-0 in conference play. Ricard (10-2) needed 78 pitches to record BU's 28th career no-hitter, as she earned 10 strikeouts, seven fly outs and one ground out against the Crusaders (7-22, 0-6 PL).
Junior
Lauren Keleher led the offense, batting 3-for-4 with a pair of two-RBI doubles. BU set a program with four triples in the contest, thanks to two RBI triples from senior
Caitlin Coker. Junior
Kate Pryor tripled for the third straight game, and classmate
Kayla Roncin earned the other.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Ricard earned five of her strikeouts over the first two innings and allowed just one walk during a six-pitch at-bat in the bottom of the fifth, which featured two strikeouts as well.
- After Roncin was stranded in scoring position in both the first and third innings, BU broke through in the top of the fifth with five runs off five hits.
- Freshman Brooke Deppiesse led off with a single, took second on junior Lauren Nett's sac bunt and scored on Pryor's RBI triple.
- Senior Audrey Sellers added an RBI single and eventually scored alongside sophomore Sydney Pecoraro on Keleher's two-RBI double.
- Coker recorded a two-out RBI triple in both the fourth sixth innings.
- During the fifth, Nett earned a single and junior Allison Boaz drew a walk to set up Keleher's second two-RBI double.
- In the sixth, junior Kayla Roncin led off with a walk and scored on Coker's second RBI triple before graduate student Emily Gant added an RBI single.
- Ricard finished the game with two strikeouts to claim her sixth overall solo shutout.
GAME NOTES
- Ricard is the third active Terrier to record at least one no-hitter. Senior Lizzy Avery earned a pair in 2022 at home against Merrimack and Holy Cross after senior Allison Boaz claimed her first at Merrimack in 2021.
- Ricard posted 29 combined strikeouts in 14.1 innings of work against the Crusaders.
- BU's previous record for triples in a game was three, set five times, including most recently on April 2, 2022, at Bucknell.
- The Terriers have now won 22 straight against the Crusaders and posted 12 run-rule victories this season.
UP NEXT
- BU will have a quick turnaround and return to non-conference play with a doubleheader at UMass Lowell on Tuesday (April 4). First pitch is set for 2 p.m.
- The Terriers have won the last seven meetings, though three of them have been decided by one run apiece.
