Softball: BU Falls to Charlotte 10-9 in Extra Innings Face-Off

By Abigail Stocker

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The Boston University softball team (12-10) concluded its season-opening road trip with a 10-9 loss to American Athletic Conference champion Charlotte (14-12) in a showdown Wednesday night.

On the road against the 49ers, BU had a 3-7 all-time record against Charlotte, including a 2-5 record in away games.

However, despite an early 4-0 lead, the Terriers were unable to hold on as the 49ers rallied for the win in a back-and-forth contest.

In the first inning, the Terriers struck first with a two-run home run by senior utility player Sydney Pecoraro, scoring junior infielder Megan Coyle.

BU extended its lead to 4-0 in the second inning with another two-run shot — this time by sophomore outfielder Kylie Doherty who brought home sophomore catcher Livia Christopher.

Charlotte did not let the Terriers hold their lead for long as they quickly responded in the second inning, cutting the lead to 4-1 with a solo home run.

The 49ers capitalized on a series of hits in the third, including a two-RBI double to tie the game at 4-4.

Charlotte then took the lead at 5-4 with an RBI single, but BU answered in the fourth, with junior infielder Brooke Deppiesse hitting a triple, putting the Terriers back in front at 6-5.

Both teams exchanged runs in the fifth and sixth innings, with Charlotte tying the game at 6-6 on a solo home run. BU responded with a sacrifice fly from freshman infielder Addie Lucier and an RBI double from sophomore infielder Libby Walsh to regain a lead at 9-6.

The 49ers rallied again in the seventh, scoring three runs to tie the game at 9-9.

The back-and-forth face-off went into extra innings, where Charlotte completed the comeback with a walk-off RBI double in the eighth inning to win 10-9 against the Terriers.

BU finished with nine runs on 11 hits and committed one error, stranding nine runners on base. On the other hand, the 49ers ended with 10 runs on 13 hits with three errors.

Both teams saw solid efforts from their pitchers throughout the match-up.

BU’s junior pitcher Kasey Ricard started the game pitching seven innings, allowing 12 hits and nine runs. Ricard was relieved from her position by junior pitcher Haley Ganino who pitched the remainder of the game, giving up one hit, one run and a walk.

The 49ers used a three-pitcher rotation throughout the game, starting with freshman Avery Shamblin, who allowed four runs, three hits and two walks. Freshman Aubrey Yarnall took over, giving up five runs on eight hits, before junior Brooke Bowling closed out the game with a perfect inning, allowing no hits.

Doherty and Pecoraro were the offensive leaders for the Terriers, with Doherty going 2-for-4 with two RBIs and two runs, while Pecoraro had a 1-for-4 performance with two RBIs.

Charlotte’s offense was powered by sophomore infielder Teagan Ritchie, who hit two home runs and drove in four RBIs. Junior outfielder London Dirks also contributed to the team’s success with a home run and two RBIs.

The Terriers will look to rebound as they return home after their long road trip, facing Yale March 18 in a doubleheader starting at 1 p.m.