BU softball team players huddle up
Robert Branning

Softball Travels to North Carolina for Charlotte Invitational

February 15, 2024

CHARLOTTE INVITATIONAL (GAMES 6-10) INFORMATION
Teams: BU, Queens, Charlotte, Canisius
Dates: Friday, Feb. 16 - Sunday, Feb. 18
Venue: Charlotte, N.C. | Sue M. Daughtridge Stadium
Twitter: @BUGameDay | @TerrierSoftball

BOSTON – Coming off a 5-0 performance in Florida, the defending Patriot League champion Boston University softball team will remain down south with a trip to the Charlotte Invitational.

The Terriers will start off against Queens University on Friday (Feb. 16) with an 11 a.m. start time followed by a 2 p.m. first pitch against host Charlotte. BU will then have rematches against the two squads at the exact same times on Saturday (Feb. 17) with both Charlotte contests streaming on ESPN+. Finally, a matchup against Canisius will take place Sunday (Feb. 18) at 11 a.m.

Both BU and Charlotte are currently receiving votes in the NFCA Top 25 poll with the 49ers earning the 31st most at 19 and BU in 33rd with four.

TERRIER TIDBITS
  • BU started a season 5-0 for the fourth time in program history after last accomplishing the feat in 2020.
  • Named Patriot League Player of the Week, senior Lauren Keleher batted .647 with a team-high seven RBIS and nine runs scored. She collected one of BU's three homers alongside sophomore Brooke Deppiesse (.375) and graduate student Audrey Sellers (.333).
  • 2023 All-American and senior Kayla Roncin (.650) finished third last year nationally at 92 hits and is currently second at 13 hits with three stolen bases.
  • Both graduate student Caitlin Coker (.368) and senior Kate Pryor (.313) finished tied-for-second on the team with five RBIs apiece.
  • In the circle, reigning PL Pitcher of the Week and graduate student Allison Boaz (2-0, SV, 0.82 ERA) pitched a no-hitter against SIUE before finishing with 12 strikeouts in 17.0 innings. Sophomore Kasey Ricard (2-0, 1.24 ERA) totaled 16 strikeouts in 11.1 innings.
  • Graduate student Lizzy Avery (1-0, 3.82 ERA) went 4-for-7 at the plate with a double and two RBIs after going a combined 5-for-27 over the previous four years with three doubles and five RBIs.
  • BU batted .400 last weekend while holding opponents to .128 with a 13-4 advantage in extra-base hits.
SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS

Queens, 3-2 (Friday, 11 a.m. // Saturday, 2 p.m.)
  • Posting a 20-26 record and 10-14 conference mark in its first year as an NCAA Division I member in the Atlantic Sun, the Royals went 3-2 last weekend at UNC Wilmington. Queens blanked DePaul (3-0) and North Dakota State (3-0) while splitting against Northern Kentucky (2-1, 0-8) and dropping a 1-0 decision to UNCW.
  • Lindsey DeRoeck batted .308 with an RBI, while Madison Cantoni (.300) delivered a pair of doubles.
  • Autumn Courtney (2-1, 0.41 ERA) started three of the games, totaling 21 strikeouts in 17.0 innings while holding opponents to .123 batting average. Jordan Dunn (1-0, 0.78 ERA) earned five strikeouts in 9.0 innings.
  • Overall, Queens batted .168 and held opponents to .175.
  • The Royals and Terriers are meeting for the first time ever.
Charlotte, 3-2 (Friday, 2 p.m. // Saturday, 2 p.m.)
  • Coming off a 35-23 performance that ended in the 2023 NCAA regional finals, Charlotte went 3-2 this past weekend in Florida with splits against No. 4 Florida State (6-5, 0-11) and Texas Tech (2-0, 1-2) alongside an 8-0 win over Florida A&M.
  • Cori Hoffler batted a team-high .357 with a pair of doubles, while Lexi Winters hit .333 with a homer and two RBIs. Arianna Rodi also had a homer and two RBIs.
  • Charlotte had a combined seven pitchers appear in the circle at least once. Named 2023 Conference USA Newcomer of the Year thanks to 23 wins after transferring from NC State, Sam Gress is 1-1 with five strikeouts in 11.1 innings alongside an 1.85 ERA.
  • Overall, the 49ers batted .220 and held opponents to .258 over the weekend.
  • The 49ers lead the all-time series, 6-1, having won the last four meetings at home. Charlotte earned an 11-1 (5) victory in 2023 behind five homers after winning a pair of contests in 2022, 4-1 (9) and 2-1. The teams split in 2010 with Terriers last won in 2010 thanks to a no-hitter from Whitney Tuthill ('12).
Canisius, 0-0 (Sunday, 11 a.m.)
  • The defending MAAC regular season champion Golden Griffins will see their first action of 2024 after going 30-16-1 last season and coming up just short in the MAAC championship game.
  • Christie McGee-Ross returns after hitting .403 with five homers and 25 RBIs alongside 29 walks for a .506 on-base percentage. Rosie Gomez (.360) recorded eight homers and 35 RBIs in 2023.
  • Megan Giese (18-7, 2.42 ERA) is the top returning pitcher after posting 208 strikeouts in 168.0 innings while holding opponents to .217.
  • Overall, Canisius batted .301 while holding opponents to .255 with a 39-22 advantage in homers.
  • BU is 2-1 all-time after the teams split last season in South Carolina. The Terriers won the first ever meeting in 1993, 2-1, and then the second meeting last year, 9-3, before dropping a 6-5 (9) decision.
UP NEXT
  • BU will remain in the state and compete at the Duke Invitational on Feb. 23-24.
  • The Terriers will compete against Michigan State, Villanova, Elon and the host Blue Devils.
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