WEST POINT, N.Y. – Aided by a break-out ninth inning at the plate and sophomore Kasey Ricard's season-high 14 strikeouts, the No. 24 nationally-ranked Boston University softball team completed the series sweep at Army West Point with a 3-0 victory Sunday afternoon.

Though the Terriers (25-3, 3-0 PL) stranded nine runners on base through the first six innings, Ricard (12-2) was up to the task to keep the Black Knights (4-22, 0-3 PL) off the scoreboard and would earn BU's longest shutout performance in seven years. BU chased off Amanda Eaglin (1-9) in the top of the ninth with a lead-off double and back-to-back singles to grab the lead for good.

EXTRA-INNINGS

• Following a quick seventh inning, BU threatened again in the top of the eighth with a lead-off walk and one-out single before Eaglin earned a ground out and fly out.
• The Black Knights started off the bottom half with a walk and single, but Ricard rebounded with an infield fly and back-to-back swinging strikeouts.
• Sellers grabbed the lead for good in the ninth by doubling down the left field line, taking second on senior Lauren Keleher's single and scoring on senior Kayla Roncin's RBI single.
• Graduate student Caitlin Coker added an RBI grounder, and graduate student Lizzy Avery extended the lead to 3-0 with a two-out RBI single.
• Ricard sealed the shutout with a ground out, strikeout and finally an infield pop up off her 170th pitch.

THE SETUP

• BU had a runner reach second in each of the first three innings but was unable to deliver the go-ahead hit. 
• Ricard struck out the side in the third to increase her strikeout total to five.
• Looking to bounce back from Friday's no-hit loss to BU and Ricard, Army threatened in the fourth with a lead-off single and one-out walk.
• Ricard though earned a swinging strikeout and a lineout to keep the game scoreless.
• The Terriers recorded a pair of singles in consecutive innings, but Eaglin earned a strikeout to end the fifth and back-to-back ground outs to end the top of sixth.
• Army had its best chance to strike in the bottom half with a lead-off walk and back-to-back singles.
• On the second hit, though, Army tried to send a Black Knight home from second, and senior right fielder Lauren Nett threw a bullet to set up graduate student Audrey Sellers' tag at the plate.
• Ricard carried the momentum from the defensive play with back-to-back strikeouts.

GAME NOTES

• Ricard's 14 strikeouts are three shy of her career high set against Holy Cross last season in a seven-inning shutout.
• Ricard's nine-inning shutout is BU's longest since Kali Magane ('20) held Lafayette to two hits in a 1-0 (11) road victory in 2017.
• Keleher earned three hits for the sixth time this season.
• Sellers became the eighth Terrier to earn at least three doubles.
• The Terriers improved to 29-11 all-time in the series with an active 13-game win streak.
• The contest marked the third time in the last six games at West Point that a game went extra innings. Two years ago, BU pulled out a 2-1 (9) victory and 2-0 (8) decision.

UP NEXT

• BU will visit Big East rival UConn on Tuesday (March 24) with a 4 p.m. first pitch.
• The Terriers have won the last six meetings, including a 1-0 home victory last season following a 5-2 road decision in 2022.