Sophomore third baseman Brooke Hudson throws a runner out. Shannon Reed
The day-cap of the doubleheader was a pitchers duel. Shannon ReedThe Boston University softball team bounced back from a tight extra-inning defeat to cruise to a victory in the second game of a doubleheader against Harvard University at the BU Softball Field. The Terriers (16-7) captured a 10-4 win in the second game, while Harvard (9-7) took the first matchup, 2-1, in nine innings in BU’s first home game of the season.
With three RBIs each, Center fielder Chiya Louie, catcher Rachel Herbet and designated hitter Megan Coughlin led the Terriers’ offense in the victory.
Trailing 3-0 in the bottom of the first inning of the second game after Harvard’s Lauren Murphy three-run homer off senior Brittany Detwiler, Louie and Hebert quickly got the Terriers back in the game. Following a double to left by second baseman Brandi Shields and a Shayne Lotito groundout, Louie belted her team-leading sixth round-tripper to straightaway center field off Bailey Vertovez.
Two batters later, Hebert knotted the game with a blast of her own.
“Chiya has been consistent and a good RBI person throughout her career when healthy, and [hitting home runs] is what she has been doing all year for us,” said BU coach Shawn Rychcik. “Rachel is only a freshman, but she already can be counted on to get RBIs and have high-quality at bats.”
In the bottom of the third inning BU gained its first lead of the day by plating two runs against the Crimson’s Margaux Black. Hebert made it 4-3 with a bases-loaded grounder to short that was mishandled. Coughlin increased the lead to two runs by walking with the bases loaded.
A Louie double off the left-field fence in the bottom of the fourth inning made the game 6-3, and a perfectly executed suicide squeeze from Brooke Hudson gave BU a four-run cushion in the bottom of the fifth. In the top of the sixth, Harvard crept within three after an RBI single by Vertovez off Rachel Moeller, but BU responded by plating 3 runs with RBI hits from Hebert and Coughlin.
“We got some production from the bottom of the order, which is why we scored three runs,” Rychcik said.
Moeller, who relieved Detwiler, was also a key component of the BU victory. She allowed only one run and two hits in four innings of work, which resulted in her first win.
“It was good to see Brittany battle and get us to the next pitcher,” Rychcik said.
While offense was the name of the game in the second game, the opening game of the doubleheader was a low-scoring affair. Harvard’s Shelly Madick, who entered the game with a 0.9l earned run average, held BU both hitless and scoreless for seven innings.
The Terriers, however, missed out on several run-scoring opportunities to drive in runs as Madick walked seven batters and the Crimson made two errors. BU had runners on first and second in the first inning before a Hebert strikeout, and with the bases-loaded with two outs in the bottom of the sixth, shortstop Melissa Dubay was punched out.
On the mound for BU was freshman phenom Megan Currier, who entered the game with a 6-0 record. Currier was not as dominant as Madick, but managed to get through seven innings without giving up a run and surrendering only four hits.
With the game scoreless after seven innings, the teams implemented the international tie-breaker for extra innings, which stipulates that the offensive team starts with the batter who ended the previous inning on second base. The Crimson took advantage when Julia Kidder singled in Lauren Brown. BU escaped further damage by turning a double play to end the frame.
The Terriers knotted the score in their half of the eighth on a single by Brandi Shields off Madick, which was BU’s first hit of the game.
Harvard recaptured the lead in the top of the ninth on a ground ball that went through Dubay’s legs, allowing Sarah Shaughnessy to score. In the bottom of the inning, BU had a runner on third with two outs, but the Crimson’s third baseman made a diving stop of Moeller’s grounder and threw her out to end the game.
“It was disappointing because Megan threw the ball really well and should have gotten a win,” Rychcik said.
BU returns to action on Saturday to begin a three-game weekend series against the defending America East Conference Champions, the University at Albany.
“Albany is really our biggest softball rival,” Rychcik said. “We have really had some battles with them over the past few years.”
