BOSTON – Graduate students Allison Boaz and Lizzy Avery combined for nine strikeouts in the circle and five RBIs at the plate to propel the No. 21/24 nationally-ranked Boston University softball team to a 5-3 home win over Providence Tuesday afternoon.

Finishing with a 12-6 advantage in hits, the Terriers (31-4) moved into a tie with Duke for the second longest active home win streak at 20 games. BU also claimed its fourth victory of the season against the Big East following earlier wins over defending regular season champion UConn (2x) and preseason favorite Villanova, as the Friars fell to 14-18.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• After recording three strikeouts, Avery led off the bottom of the second with a single, took second on senior Kate Pryor's single and scored on Boaz's RBI double to left.
• The Friars responded in the top of the third with back-to-back one-out singles against Avery and then a two-out RBI dribbler down the third base line against sophomore Kasey Ricard.
• Providence then grabbed the 2-1 lead on an infield error and loaded the bases with a walk before striking out.
• Roncin helped BU quickly rebound in the bottom half by hitting a sharp single toward short, taking second on a wild pitch and scoring on Avery's RBI single to center.
• Providence tried to pull back ahead in the fourth with two walks, but Boaz entered in relief to earn a swinging strikeout.
• Boaz then in the bottom half gave BU the lead for good by following Pryor's second single with a towering two-run homer over the videoboard in left.
• After Keleher and Coker hit consecutive two-out singles, Avery extended BU's lead to 5-2 with an RBI single.
• Providence cut the deficit to 5-3 in the top of the fifth by taking advantage of a hit-by-pitch, wild pitch and RBI double.
• The Friars managed a runner on base in each of the next two innings via walk and error but were unable to mount a rally.

UP NEXT

• BU will continue the five-game homestand by hosting UMass on Wednesday (April 10) at 4 p.m.