The Boston University softball team fell 1-0 to its Commonwealth Avenue rival the Boston College in its first home game of the 2018 season Wednesday afternoon.
The Terriers’ (16-15) loss to the Eagles (13-15) snapped their eight-game winning streak heading into their first weekend of Patriot League play.
The matchup between the two rivals was originally scheduled to take place at Boston College, but due to the fair weather, BU hosted the Eagles at the BU Softball Field.
This in turn moved the team’s home opener up from its original date of April 3, when the Terriers host Harvard University.
BU head coach Ashley Waters noted that this was a positive change for her team.
“Going into today, the team was excited,” Waters said. “Usually we don’t have the opportunity to get out here in March, and to know our field is ready and we get to actually play on it was pretty cool.”
For six innings, the Eagles and Terriers went back and forth, remaining scoreless for the majority of the game.
The lone run for BC was scored at the top of the seventh inning, when senior catcher and third baseman Jordan Chimento hit a home run to left center field.
BU was unable to respond and push an extra inning, and only earned a single for senior infielder Kaitlin Sahlinger.
Sahlinger advanced to second base after freshman outfielder Jen Horita got an out for stepping out of the box during a bunt attempt.
Junior infielder Emily Morrow and senior infielder Brittany Younan recorded the other two outs for the Terriers in the final inning.
Despite BU not being able to tally any runs during the game, the team remained high-energy throughout, cheering on its teammates throughout the entirety of the game.
Waters attributes the team’s high energy to its positive attitude during both practices and games.
“I feel like the atmosphere on a general basis is pretty fun, pretty happy and pretty loose, and we try to practice how we play,” Waters said. “They get excited for each other. That’s something that’s really cool, and that sets us apart. They celebrate each other’s successes.”
The sixth inning threatened to yield the Eagles’ first run of the game, but two strong defensive plays by BU kept the score even at zero.
BC senior outfielder Annie Murphy opened the inning by earning a walk, but got out after a fielder’s choice saw junior catcher Alex Heinen throw out Eagles’ freshman pitcher and first baseman CC Cook at second base.
That play was followed up by another second base out, where Cook got out after sophomore shortstop and second baseman Carly Severini hit a ground ball to right field.
The teams were evenly matched as seen by BU freshman pitcher Ali Dubois only giving up three hits.
With the loss to the Eagles behind them, the Terriers will look to the upcoming weekend when they kick off Patriot League play with a three-game series against the United States Military Academy, which includes a doubleheader on Saturday and a stand-alone game Sunday afternoon in West Point, New York.
Currently, every softball team in the Patriot League has at least one conference loss, except BU. The Terriers are looking to evade their first Patriot League loss this weekend.
Army (11-17, 2-1 Patriot League) is currently tied for first in the Patriot League with Lehigh University and the College of the Holy Cross.
The Black Knights earned two wins and a loss against Bucknell University in their first conference matchups of the 2018 season last weekend.
Waters said the she and the team are excited to start conference play.
BU will look for the title once again this season after falling to Lehigh (6-17, 2-1 Patriot League) last season in the championship.
In 2016, the team defeated Army 3-2 in the first round of conference playoffs and then won 9-0 in the finals to become Patriot League champions and move on to the NCAA Tournament.
“We’re in a really good spot,” Waters said. “I think they’re feeling really good about themselves, so hopefully the bats come alive again, but I’m excited to see what they can do this weekend.”
