COLUMBIA, S.C. – Facing its third straight 2023 NCAA tournament participant, the No. 22/23 Boston University softball team dropped a 2-0 decision to Northwestern on Saturday morning at South Carolina's Garnet & Black Invitational.
The Terriers (19-3) held the Wildcats (9-7), coming off a trip to the Super Regionals, to their second lowest hit output of the year but were unable to deliver a breakthrough at-bat, as they stranded six on base. BU utilized all three pitchers with graduate student
Allison Boaz (7-1) tallying four strikeouts through the first five innings against two hits and two walks while trying to help on a double..
Classmate
Lizzy Avery pitched a scoreless sixth, and sophomore
Kasey Ricard struck out the side in the seventh. Overall, BU posted a 5-3 advantage in hits with the Wildcats stranding just two on base.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- BU had multiple opportunities to get on the scoreboard against Riley Grudzielanek, starting in the first with a pair of singles.
- The Wildcats turned a double play on a liner to center and earned a fly out to right.
- In the second, freshman Kylie Doherty started off with a single and moved to second on graduate student Allison Boaz's sac bunt, but BU grounded out twice.
- During the bottom of the fourth, the Terriers loaded the bases behind a pair of walks and Boaz's double before Ashley Miller (3-3) entered the game in relief to earn the strikeout.
- The Wildcats took the lead for good in the fifth with a lead-off walk, stolen base and two-out RBI single from Grudzielanek.
- After earning a lead-off in the fifth, Northwestern tripled to center against Avery to double the lead with zero outs.
- BU kept the deficit at two runs though, as graduate student Audrey Sellers applied a tag at home on a strong throw from sophomore Brooke Deppiesse at second and then threw the next runner out attempting to steal a base.
- Junior Tyesha Williams was the lone Terrier to earn a hit over the final 3.1 innings against Miller, who bounced back from the two-out double with a game-sealing shutout.
UP NEXT
- BU will next face Michigan State on Sunday (March 17) with a 10 a.m. start time.