BU softball team wears 2025 PL championship hats and t-shirts for a group photo with the trophy.
2
Army West Point ARMY 35-22
3
Winner Boston University BOSTONU 39-17
Army West Point ARMY
35-22
2
Final
3
Boston University BOSTONU
39-17
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Army West Point ARMY 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 8 2
Boston University BOSTONU 0 0 0 0 3 0 X 3 3 1

W: Nell, Danika (8-1) L: Izzo, B. (15-9)

Game Recap: Softball |

Softball Rallies Late Past Army West Point to Three-Peat as Patriot League Champions

WEST POINT, N.Y. – After allowing a two-run homer to start the title game, the No. 2-seeded Boston University softball team rallied late in the fifth to three-peat as Patriot League champions with a 3-2 victory at No. 1 Army West Point Sunday morning.

With their eighth straight victory and 17th overall conference championship, the Terriers improve to 39-17 and have now hoisted eight PL trophies, including seven under 10th-year head coach Ashley Waters, since joining the conference in the summer of 2013. Held to just two combined runs over the last 13 innings by BU after totaling 16 over the previous 14 innings in two regular season wins, the Black Knights end their season at 35-22. 

Freshman Danika Nell (8-1) pitched seven scoreless innings in her first postseason appearance, and sophomore Kylie Doherty delivered the go-ahead RBI single. The clutch at-bat came after freshman Addie Lucier and sophomore Livia Christopher scored on junior Brooke Deppiesse's RBI single helped by a Black Knight error. 

Named 2025 PL Defensive Player of the Year earlier in the week, Deppiesse earned Tournament MVP honors batting a combined 5-for-11 with four RBIs, two runs and two doubles. She was joined on the All-Tournament Team by Nell, Lucier and junior Kasey Ricard, the two-time reigning PL Pitcher of the Year who helped BU open a conference tournament with back-to-back shutouts for the first time since 1995 on her way to setting the program record for innings pitched in a season.

HOW IT HAPPENED
  • After Army started off with a lead-off single, All-PL First Team member Taylor Brown put the Black Knights on the scoreboard with a two-run homer against Ricard.
  • Seeing her first action in a week, the reliever Nell immediately struck out PL Player of the Year Ashton White and shortly thereafter bounced back from a walk and two-out single with a second strikeout to keep the deficit at 2-0.
  • Freshman Camryn Lyons earned a one-out single in the bottom half against All-PL Second Team pitcher Breanna Izzo (15-9), but the Terriers would not earn another until the fifth inning.
  • Nell though with the help of the defense were up to the task of keeping Army's bats at bay scattering four hits during that stretch.
  • After White started off the third with a single, the Black Knights added a two-out single but then flew out to right to strand two.
  • The Terriers made their move in the bottom of the fifth with Christopher reaching first on a fielding error with one out and then taking second on Lucier's walk.
  • Moved to the lead-off slot on Saturday, Deppiesse then singled through the left side and watched the left fielder overthrow the ball home as Christopher slid home and Lucier quickly followed to tie the gme.
  • With Deppiesse at third base, All-PL First Team pitcher Katelyn Flanders replaced Izzo in the circle but was unable to quell the storm in time, first hitting Lyons with a pitch.
  • Unable to earn a hit in 17 combined plate appearances on the season against Army, All-PL First Team honoree Doherty delivered in the clutch with an RBI single through the right side for the 3-2 lead.
  • Trying to add insurance for Nell, sophomore Sophie Naivar loaded the bases on a hit-by-pitch, but Flanders prevented further damage with an infield pop up.
  • Nell quickly retired the side in the sixth and bounced back from allowing a one-out single in the seventh by earning a ground out and foul out to junior Aimee Metz in right to seal the thrilling come-from-behind victory.
GAME NOTES
  • By scoring what proved to be the game-winning run in the fifth, Deppiesse moved into a tie for second in the program record book with Kayla Roncin's ('24) 2023 total of 56 runs.
  • The Terriers have now earned 39+ wins in a season seven times with five occurring during Waters' tenure (2018, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025) after BU previously accomplished the feat in 2009 and 2012.
  • BU committed just one error in 13 combined innings over the weekend against Army after totaling eight miscues during the 1-2 three-game series vs. the Black Knights back on April 19-20.
  • The Terriers improved to 28-4 all-time in the PL tournament, having claimed all eight championships in three-game sweeps.
  • BU is also now 9-0 against the Black Knights in postseason action with a 33-13 all-time overall mark.
  • In the 17 conference title game victories, the Terriers earned three trophies by one run apiece with a 1-0 victory over America East foe Hartford in 2002, 1-0 (8) win vs. Lehigh in 2024 and now a 3-2 win at Army.
UP NEXT
  • The Terriers will learn their seventh NCAA regional destination under 10th-year head coach Ashley Waters and 14th overall during the NCAA selection show scheduled to air at 7 p.m. on both ESPN2 and ESPN+.
  • BU received the No. 3 seed in each of the last three appearances (2021 - Stillwater, 2023 - Athens, 2024 - Norman) but is expected to place No. 4 in 2025 with a current RPI of 124.
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