BOSTON – Boosted by senior Allison Boaz's stellar pitching performance and classmate Caitlin Coker's effort at the plate, the 25th nationally-ranked Boston University softball team captured its fourth Patriot League tournament title in six years with a 2-0 home victory over Army West Point Saturday afternoon.

With a program and conference season record-breaking 23rd shutout, the Terriers improve to 51-8 while claiming their 12th overall automatic NCAA berth. Boaz (24-4) finished with six strikeouts against four hits allowed, and Coker went 2-for-3 with two runs, a double, a triple and stolen base. 

The 2023 PL Defensive Player of the Year and Scholar-Athlete of the Year Coker also made the final out at third for her sixth assist of the contest en route to Tournament MVP accolades. She was joined on the PL All-Tournament squad by senior catcher Audrey Sellers and a pair of two-time honorees in Boaz and junior center fielder Lauren Keleher. They will learn their NCAA regional destination on ESPN2's NCAA Selection Show Sunday (May 14) starting at 7 p.m.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Making their first PL championship round appearance since 2016, the Black Knights (22-37) threatened quickly with a lead-off walk, sacrifice bunt and one-out single.
• Boaz though remained composed and earned a pair of ground outs to keep the game scoreless.
• Keleher and junior Kayla Roncin started the contest with back-to-back singles before Army's Kayla Edwards made an impressive diving catch in right center to help turn a double play.
• Boaz retired eight straight Black Knights until Army started the fourth with its second single of the game.
• The Terriers earned three consecutive outs and then grabbed the lead for good in the bottom half, as Coker hit a one-out double down the right field line, took third on a passed ball and scored on junior Lauren Nett's two-out RBI single to center.
• Army tried to rally in each of the last three innings by getting a Black Knight on base, starting in the fifth with a two-out single.
• Boaz though earned three strikeouts in the fifth and bounced back from a lead-off single in the sixth with a pair of ground outs and line out.
• Coker added a big insurance run during the bottom half by driving the ball into right center past a diving Edwards for her NCAA leading 11th triple and successfully reaching home with two outs as part of a double steal alongside graduate student Emily Gant (walk).
• In the final inning, Army earned a one-out walk before striking out and finally grounding out to Coker at third for the shutout loss.'

GAME NOTES

• Boaz became the first PL pitcher since 2013 to clinch the tournament title with a seven-inning shutout. The Terriers last accomplished the feat in 2002 against Hartford (1-0) in the America East.
• BU's 23 shutouts top the 22 earned by the 1996 squad. In the PL, Lehigh had 22 shutouts in 2012.
• The Terriers improved to 22-4 all-time in PL tournament action, earning titles in 2014, 16, 18, 19, 21 and 23.
• BU is now 26-11 all-time against Army with a 7-0 mark in PL tournament play, including run-rule shutouts in 2016 (title game) and 2018.

UP NEXT

• BU last reached the NCAA tournament in 2021 and will try to reach its first regional final since 2009 on May 19-21 at a site to be revealed Sunday night on ESPN2.
• Under eighth-year head coach Ashley Waters, BU has previously been sent to Louisiana-Lafayette (2016), Oklahoma (2018), Florida (2019) and Oklahoma State (2021).