Softball: BU walks it off against rival BC in 11-inning thriller
By Bobby Serafin
After the 126th Boston Marathon saw a wild finish for its women’s competition, the Boston University Terriers (31-13, 9-0 PL) had their own dramatic ending as they toppled the Boston College Eagles (19-21, 5-13 PL) by a final score of 3-2 in a game that lasted more than three hours.
The walk-off victory pushed BU’s win streak to 20 games, which ties the Terriers with Arizona State for the longest active win streak in the NCAA.
Junior starter Allison Boaz was her typical self, allowing only three hits and striking out five in six innings of work.
After BC left two runners on base in the top of the first, BU opened up the scoring when sophomore shortstop Kayla Roncin recorded a one-out triple to bring home junior third baseman Caitlyn Coker.
In the fourth, senior first baseman Nicole Amodio singled and advanced to second on an Eagles throwing error, which allowed senior left fielder Emily Gant to score.
BC was quiet until the sixth when a single and an error put two Eagles in scoring position. Freshman catcher Hannah Slike subsequently sent both runners home with her team-leading 12th double of the season.
After Boaz finished the inning, BU brought in junior pitcher Lizzy Avery, last week’s Patriot League Pitcher of the Week.
As the game went to extra innings, it became a pitcher’s duel. BC starter Susannah Anderson and Avery allowed only nine hits combined over 10.2 innings of work.
BC threatened in the top half of the 11th with two hits but could not bring home the go-ahead run.
When Roncin stepped up to the plate in the bottom of the inning, she drove a two-strike, two-out pitch up the middle to bring home second baseman Kate Pryor. The hit sent the BU bench into an uproar and marked 64 hits on the season for Roncin, which leads all BU hitters.
The win was the Terriers’ fourth-straight against crosstown rival BC, though they still trail the Eagles 24-26 all-time.
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The Terriers have three remaining Patriot League series before the conference tournament, beginning with a three-game stint against Colgate on Saturday and Sunday. First pitch is scheduled for noon on Saturday.