BOSTON – Helped by the top of the batting order and two strong pitching performances, the Boston University softball team run-ruled Stonehill in a home doubleheader sweep Wednesday afternoon.
The Terriers (28-13) more than doubled the Skyhawks (10-27) in hits, 26-12, while posting a 14-2 advantage in strikeouts. BU first earned four runs in the first inning of the day en route to a 10-2 (6) win and then broke a scoreless deadlock in the rematch with three runs in the third and fourth innings, respectively, to pull away for an 8-0 (6) victory.
Junior
Kasey Ricard (19-8) and freshman
Ava Johnson (4-1) both went the distance, combining for 14 strikeouts against 12 hits without allowing a single walk. At the plate, the top three batters in the lineup – sophomore
Kylie Doherty, junior
Brooke Deppiesse and junior
Megan Coyle – batted a combined 13-for-20 with seven RBIs and eight runs scored to lead the offense.
GAME 1: BU - 10, Stonehill - 2 (6 inn.)
HOW IT HAPPENED
- After Ricard started the game with two strikeouts, BU jumped out to a 4-0 lead off five hits in the bottom of the first.
- With the bases loaded in her first career start, freshman Kieren McHugh drove a single to the left center gap to plate two runs.
- Freshman Camryn Lyons and sophomore Livia Christopher both added RBI singles to right.
- In the second, Doherty led off again with a single and scored on Coyle's RBI triple to right center that helped set up freshman Addie Lucier's RBI sac fly.
- After ending the top of the third with two strikeouts, Ricard earned her first career hit with two outs on a single up the middle, advanced to third on Doherty's single and scored on a mishandled grounder for the 7-0 advantage.
- The Skyhawks tried to mount a rally with two outs in the fourth by earning a hit-by-pitch, double and two-RBI single.
- Stonehill continued to apply pressure by loading the bases on a single and error, but Ricard prevented further damage with a swinging strikeout.
- Ricard added two more strikeouts in the sixth to maintain the five-run lead, and BU walked off in the bottom half with three runs off three hits and an error, ending on sophomore Kyomi Apalit's RBI single to left.
GAME 2: BU - 8, Stonehill - 0 (6 inn.)
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The Skyhawks tried to score first in the second with back-to-back two-out singles, but Johnson earned a strikeout to keep the game scoreless.
- In the third inning, BU loaded the bases with one out to set up Coyle's two-RBI single to center and McHugh's RBI grounder for a 3-0 lead.
- Stonehill led off the fourth with a single before lining out into a double play with Deppiesse catching the ball at second and quickly throwing to first for the second out.
- The Terriers doubled the lead in the bottom half with three runs off four hits, including Doherty's two-RBI double and Coyle's RBI single.
- BU put the game away in the sixth by loading the bases with zero outs to set up Coyle's RBI sac fly and McHugh's walk-off RBI single through the right side.
UP NEXT
- BU will return to conference play by hosting Army West Point in a three-game weekend series with Saturday's DH and Sunday's single game contest both set for 12 p.m.
- The Terriers are riding a 14-game win streak with seven of the contests decided by 1-2 runs apiece.
- Last season, BU won the Patriot League tournament opener against the Black Knights, 2-0.