Softball Rolls Past Colgate, 12-1, to Secure Fourth Straight Patriot League Title

Saturday, May 9

Boston, MA

10:30 AM

Boston University

46-13

(2) Colgate - PL Final

29-26

Team	1	2	3	4	5	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Boston U.	1	2	0	6	3	12	7	0
Colgate	0	1	0	0	0	1	2	3

Photo by: Eliza Nuestro

Softball Rolls Past Colgate, 12-1, to Secure Fourth Straight Patriot League Title

May 9, 2026 | Softball

Box Score Highlights Doherty-Ricard-Coach Waters Postgame Coach Waters Postgame

BOSTON - Junior Kylie Doherty smashed two home runs, including a grand slam, to pace the top-seeded and tournament host Boston University softball team to a dominating 12-1 victory over second-seeded Colgate in five innings to clinch the program's fourth straight Patriot League title Saturday afternoon.

Named Tournament MVP for the second time in three years, senior Kasey Ricard (32-6) pitched a complete game to add to her NCAA leading total in victories, allowing just two hits while striking out seven for the second consecutive contest. Ricard and her classmates became the first senior class in program history to hoist a conference trophy all four years, as the Terriers (46-13) secured the first Patriot League four-peat in 30 years (Lehigh, 1993-1996).

Doherty recorded five RBIs via her career-tying two homers while senior Brooke Deppiesse and freshman Madolyn Coupal helped the offense with two RBIs apiece. In total, seven different Terriers crossed the plate at least once to claim the program's ninth PL title and 15th automatic NCAA bid. Besides Ricard, Doherty, junior Kyomi Apalit and junior Sophie Naivar also earned All-Tournament Team recognition for their efforts over the last three days.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Doherty, who extended her school and Patriot League single-season home run record to 26, opened the scoring following Deppiesse's lead-off deep fly ball to right with a solo shot toward the same direction in the top of the first to grab the lead for good.
Looking for a quick response, Colgate's Analisa Raffaelli recorded a one-out double to center, but Ricard was able to get out of the jam with an infield pop up and swinging strikeout.
After senior Megan Coyle earned a walk and sophomore Camryn Lyons singled to left to open the second inning, junior Livia Christopher plated Coyle on an RBI grounder and Coupal stroked a two-out RBI single to center to plate Apalit from second.
With two outs in the bottom half, Alexa Acker put Colgate on the scoreboard by lifting a 3-2 pitch just out of reach of Lyons in center.
Ricard bounced right back by retiring the next 10 Raiders, as the offense delivered the knockout blow for the program's third run-rule victory in a PL title game.
Coyle again started off the fourth with a walk and took advantage of Colgate misplaying Lyons' sac bunt by advancing to third.
After Apalit loaded the bases on a walk, the Raiders committed a second error that allowed Coyle to score and then earned an out on Coupal's RBI sac fly to right.
The Terriers loaded the bases again on Deppiesse's hit-by-pitch and watched Doherty drill a 2-2 pitch toward the video board in left center for the commanding 9-1 lead.
Adding three insurance runs to help prevent Colgate from extending the game, Deppiesse first earned a two-out, two-RBI triple to right center in the top of the fifth and then shortly thereafter rushed to home plate while Doherty drew a rundown between first and second.
Ricard tallied two strikeouts in the bottom half and celebrated with her teammates after Coupal smothered a hard grounder to third and threw a bullet over to Coyle at first for the final out.

GAME NOTES

Besides solidifying her hold of the PL record for homers in a season and career, Doherty also extended her record in single-season RBIs to 88 and moved into a tie with Lehigh's Emily Cimino (2020-24) for career RBIs at 171 total.
By touching home plate twice, Deppiesse broke a tie with BU Hall of Famer April Setterlund ('11) in the program record book and with Army's Kasey McCravey ('16) in the PL record book for runs scored in a season at 65 total. Doherty remains in the hunt though for the two records, now sitting at 63 after scoring two runs as well against Colgate.
Deppiesse also moved into a tie for second in both record books with 21 career triples alongside former teammate Caitlin Coker ('24). They are three away from tying the BU record and are six shy of the PL record.
Ricard became the second Terrier to earn two tournament MVP awards after Cassidi Hardy ('10) garnered recognition from the America East in 2009 and 2010. Ricard's also just the third in the PL since 2000 to earn multiple MVP honors.
A day after setting a new program record for career strikeouts at 913, Ricard now owns 920 and is eight away from tying the PL record.
Thanks to the three-game sweep in the tournament, the Terriers finished the season with a 24-1-0 (.960) home record, marking the most home wins in program history with the 2023 squad holding a slight edge in winning percentage at .976 (20-0-1).
11th-year head coach Ashley Waters earned her eighth PL title at the helm while improving her all-time PL tournament record to 28-4 (.875).
BU earned the PL's largest margin of victory in a title game since Lehigh run-ruled Colgate, 14-0 (5), in 2011.
Of the Terriers' nine PL titles, three have been earned in run-rule fashion with Waters' 2016 and 2018 squads first accomplishing the feat. The 2016 team blanked Army West Point, 9-0 (5), and the 2018 team shut out Lehigh, 8-0 (5).

UP NEXT

The NCAA Softball Selection Show will take place on Sunday (May 10) at 7 p.m. on ESPN2.
Since joining the PL, BU has been sent to Oklahoma (2018, 24, 25), Arizona (2014), Louisiana-Lafayette (2016), Florida (2019), Oklahoma State (2021) and Georgia (2023).