Boston University softball outscored Colgate University by a combined score of 26-2 in a sweep of a 3-game set as head coach Ashley Waters collected her 300th career win.
“It just means I have a lot of really good players,” said Waters. “We’ve had a lot of really talented kids over the years who have been able to put this on the map and make us relevant, and I’m just really proud to work at Boston University.”
The Terriers (30-4, 6-0 Patriot League) offense was kept relatively at bay until the third game in the series when they exploded for 16 runs, while their pitching silenced the Raiders’ (13-21, 3-6 PL) hitters.
Game 1:
Graduate pitcher Allison Boaz tossed a gem, bouncing back from a disappointing start against Dartmouth College in her last outing.
“I, in my mind, was like, ‘I want this kid to throw seven innings,’ so I was always giving her a little bit more leniency than I usually do because I think she needed to throw seven innings to get herself back on track,” Waters said. “I think she felt good about it.”
Despite giving up six hits and two walks in her complete game, Boaz was able to work around traffic throughout the game and limit the damage done, earning the shutout.
The Terrier offense started out relatively quiet aside from freshman outfielder Kylie Doherty, who smacked a pitch out to left center for her fifth home run of the season in the second inning to put BU up early.
Throughout the game, the Terriers slowly chipped away at Colgate fifth-year pitcher Bailey Misken. BU went down in order in the first inning, but the team collected nine hits and four walks across the next six innings. The Terriers pushed the next five runs across the plate with a sacrifice fly, a single and a Colgate error, taking advantage of command issues and sloppy Colgate defense to finish the game 6-0.
Game 2:
Sophomore pitcher Kasey Ricard was perfect for the first six innings, working quickly through the Raiders lineup.
“She just was hitting her spots, executing, really getting weak fly outs,” said Waters. “[The Raiders] were swinging early in the count, which helped us.”
The Terrier defense showed out to preserve Ricard’s perfect game, including two diving plays in the outfield by seniors Kate Pryor and Lauren Nett.
Colgate pitcher Maya Servedio was solid as well, holding the Terriers to only two runs for the first seven innings.
In the second inning, after she walked and eventually advanced to third base on a sacrifice bunt, Doherty stole home to get the Terriers their first run of the game.
In the fifth, BU graduate catcher Audrey Sellers worked a nine-pitch walk and scored on senior shortstop Kayla Roncin’s double, adding an insurance run.
Ricard only faltered in the seventh inning. Fifth-year infielder Rachel Carney broke up both the perfect game and the no-hitter with an infield single. The issues started to snowball when she hit another batter. Senior infielder Kara Fusco doubled with two outs, plating the two runners on base and tying the game 2-2.
Ricard managed to get the last out to get the Terrier offense back into the box in extra innings before Colgate could do any more damage with a runner in scoring position.
BU responded with two runs in the top of the eighth. After a hit-by-pitch and a double, Pryor got to be the hero again, hitting a double to send both runners home and putting the Terriers up 4-2.
Ricard closed out the game herself, working around a single and a walk to seal the Terrier victory and the 300th career win for Waters.
Waters is the fastest coach in Patriot League history to reach 300 wins.
Game 3:
The Terrier offense finally erupted for 16 runs on Monday, forcing a run rule end to the game after five innings.
BU chased out four different pitchers in the shortened game with a barrage of 15 hits, including two home runs from senior outfielder Lauren Keleher and a seven-run fifth inning that sent the team home happy.
Graduate pitcher Lizzy Avery was solid in her five innings of work behind plenty of run support, only giving up one hit and no runs without a walk. She punched out five Colgate batters to add insult to injury.
The Terriers play the University of Massachusetts Amherst at home on Wednesday. First pitch is set for 4:00 p.m.
