ATHENS, Ga. – Boosted by 14 hits and a strong pitching performance from senior Allison Boaz, the 25th-ranked and Patriot League champion Boston University softball team remained alive in the Athens Regional with an 8-0 (6) romp over MEAC champion North Carolina Central University on Saturday afternoon at Georgia's Jack Turner Stadium.

With its first-ever run-rule decision in NCAA play, BU improves to 52-10, as six Terriers collected multiple hits. Senior Caitlin Coker went a perfect 3-for-3 with an RBI and run scored, while junior Kayla Roncin finished 2-for-3 alongside a game-high two RBIs to set a program record at 55 RBIs on the year.

In the circle, Boaz (25-5) held the Eagles (19-35) to just two hits while totaling seven strikeouts against two walks. Her ninth solo shutout helped the Terriers claim their first NCAA tournament win since an 8-3 victory against American Athletic Conference champion Louisville in 2014 and their fourth-ever NCAA clean sheet with BU last accomplishing the feat against Auburn (5-0) in 2009.

The Terriers have a quick turnaround and will face No. 24 Virginia Tech with an NCAA Regional Final berth on the line at approximately 6:20 p.m. with both the ACC Network and ESPN+ broadcasting Friday's rematch that saw the Hokies prevail, 6-1.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Roncin hit a one-out single in the bottom of the first but was caught stealing in a bang-bang play at second before Coker added a two-out single.
• The Eagles earned a lead-off single in the third but were picked off at first by senior Audrey Sellers after leaning too far away from the bag.
• Coker started the fourth with a lead-off triple to extend her NCAA lead to 12 triples on the season and set up junior Lauren Nett's RBI grounder.
• Freshman Brooke Deppiesse hit a two-out infield single and took third on junior Kate Pryor's double before NCCU ended the threat on a ground out.
• After Boaz struck out the side in the top of the fifth, BU pulled away with four runs off six hits during the bottom half.
• Sellers started off with a single and took second on junior Lauren Keleher's single before scoring on Roncin's RBI single that led to a throwing error from the Eagles and 3-0 lead.
• Coker added an RBI single, and Deppiesse added an RBI double to grab a 5-0 advantage.
• NCCU earned a one-out single in the sixth before Boax earned a pair of ground outs.
• Pryor tripled to right center to start the bottom half and scored on a wild pitch.
• Amodio's ensuing walk and Sellers' single led to two more runs for the Terriers, as junior pinch runner Raegan Kelly scored on a passed ball and Sellers reached home on Roncin's walk-off RBI sac fly.

GAME NOTES

• Eighth-year head coach Ashley Waters earned her 271st career victory, tying Shawn Rychick (2005-12) for the program record.
• The two-time PL Pitcher of the Year Boaz moved to fifth in the program season record book at 25 wins and tied-for-seventh at nine shutouts. 
• BU's 14 hits were the second most on the year behind the 16 tallied at Fairfield in a 9-0( 5) win.
• BU's run-rule victory was the second in PL history with Lehigh the last to accomplish the feat with a 9-0 (5) win over Florida A&M in 2009. It was also the fifth-ever shutout following the Mountain Hawks' 3-0 win over Central Arkansas in 2015 with Army the other school to claim a clean sheet behind a 2-0 victory over Utah in 2002.