DURHAM, N.C. – The No. 25 nationally-ranked Boston University softball team wrapped the Duke Invitational with a doubleheader split, first posting a 16-3 win over Elon and then dropping a hard-fought 4-2 decision to the No. 7/6 Blue Devils Saturday evening.
The Terriers (13-1) earned their most runs in two years against the Phoenix (5-8) with the help of two homers and later held a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the sixth when tournament host Duke (10-1) used a one-out, two-RBI triple to pull away.
GAME 1: #25/RV BU - 16, Elon - 3
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Following a scoreless first, BU jumped out to a 4-0 lead off three hits and a costly throwing error that allowed two runs to score with the bases loaded.
- Senior Lauren Keleher followed with an RBI sac fly, and classmate Kayla Roncin had an RBI single.
- The Phoenix came right back in the bottom half with a lead-off sinlge and RBI double against graduate student Allison Boaz, who then earned three straight outs.
- BU took advantage of another error with Roncin delivering a two-RBI single to plate graduate student Audrey Sellers and Keleher in the top of the fourth.
- The Phoenix threatened one last time in the fourth with a walk, two-run homer and double against Boaz to cut the lead in half, 6-3, during the bottom half.
- Graduate student Lizzy Avery entered the circle and would prevent Elon from earning another hit, as BU pulled away in the fifth with three runs off four hits and a wild pitch, highlighted by Keleher's two-run homer.
- After sophomore Brooke Deppiesse earned an RBI sac fly in the sixth, the Terriers plated six more runs in the seventh with just one hit, a grand slam homer by freshman Sophie Naivar thanks to four walks and a hit-by-pitch.
GAME 2: #7/6 Duke - 4, #25/RV BU - 2
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Both teams had a runner each base in the first with Roncin earning a one-out walk and Duke leading off with a single.
- Keleher though helped keep the Blue Devils off the scoreboard turning a double play by catching a hard liner toward deep center and then throwing out the runner at first.
- Duke's 2023 freshman All-American Cassidy Curd started the game with five strikeouts through the first two innings, but still faced an early 1-0 deficit, as Deppiesse lined a hard hit toward left center for her second homer of the season.
- The Blue Devils quickly responded against sophomore Kasey Ricard with a single and two-out RBI double in the bottom half.
- BU broke the deadlock in the top of the fifth with Deppiesse reaching base via an error, taking second on senior Lauren Nett's infield single and eventually scoring on Roncin's two-out RBI deep single to short.
- The Terriers though left two on base in both the top of the fifth and sixth, leading to the Blue Devils' breakout at-bats in the bottom of the sixth.
- With one out, Duke earned a pair of one-out singles and then a two-RBI triple to set up an RBI sac fly for the 4-2 lead.
- Replacing Curd in the middle of the fifth inning, Lillie Walker sealed the win with three quick outs in the seventh for the victory.
UP NEXT
- BU will take a week off and then head to South Carolina for two tournaments, starting on March 8-10 at Coastal Carolina's Beach Chicken Brawl.