Softball: Terriers Dominate Stonehill in High-Scoring Doubleheader Sweep
By Grace Robbins
BOSTON – The Boston University Softball Team (28-13) needed just six innings in each game to complete a dominant sweep of Stonehill College (10-27) on Wednesday.
The Terriers racked up 13 hits in both matchups, cruising to back-to-back run-rule victories, 10-2 and 8-0.
Junior pitcher Kasey Ricard earned her 19th win of the season in the first game, allowing two earned runs on seven hits and striking out ten.
Sophomore outfielder Kylie Doherty, the reigning Patriot League Player of the Week, stayed hot at the plate, going 3-for-4 in the opener.
BU wasted no time getting on the board. Freshman utility player Kieren McHugh ripped a single into the left-center gap, driving in junior infielders Megan Coyle and Brooke Deppiesse.
Freshman left fielder Camryn Lyons followed with an RBI single, and sophomore catcher Livia Christopher added another run with a hit to right-center to give the Terriers an early 4-0 lead.
BU kept the bats rolling in the second, with Doherty leading off with a single. Coyle then tripled to right-center, scoring her. Freshman infielder Addie Lucier fouled out, resulting in Coyle scoring but no RBI.
Stonehill mounted a brief rally in the fourth, plating their only two runs of the game. Third baseman Shannon Conte was hit by a pitch, then scored along with left fielder Piper Hoffman on a two-RBI single from infielder Jessica Brill.
Ricard eventually regained control of the inning and struck out leadoff batter Melanie Snyder to retire the side.
The Terriers responded in the bottom of the sixth. Coyle doubled, Lucier walked and McHugh delivered again with an RBI single. Lyons reached on a throwing error, scoring Lucier.
Sophomore infielder Kyomi Apalit sealed the game with a walk-off single to left field, scoring McHugh and securing a mercy-rule victory in the first half of the doubleheader.
The loss was charged to Stonehill pitcher Sciarretto — her sixth of the season — after giving up nine earned runs on 13 hits over 5.1 innings.
The second game followed a similar script.
BU freshman pitcher Ava Johnson tossed a complete-game shutout, allowing five hits and striking out four to earn her fourth win of the season.
The Terriers broke through in the third inning, starting with a leadoff single from Apalit, who prompty stole second. Doherty drew a walk, and Deppiesse followed with a single to load the bases.
Coyle came through with a two-run single to center, plating Apalit and Doherty. McHugh added a third run with an RBI groundout that brought home Deppiesse.
Johnson continued to silence the Stonehill offense in the fourth, allowing just a single that was quickly erased by a double play.
BU’s offense stayed red-hot in the bottom of the frame. Camryn Lyons led off with a single up the middle, but was erased on a fielder’s choice that allowed Apalit to reach.
Junior pinch hitter Olivia DeLong followed with a single to left and advanced to second on an error, while Apalit moved to third.
That set the stage for Doherty, who ripped a two-RBI double to right field, scoring both Apalit and DeLong. The hit chased Stonehill starter Alexa Hospodar from the game. She was charged with the loss, dropping to 2-8. Sophomore Harper Sullivan entered in relief.
The Terriers tacked on another run before the inning ended. Deppiesse drew a walk after a seven-pitch battle, and Coyle drove in Doherty with a single to right.
After a quiet fifth inning, the Terriers reignited their offense in the sixth to seal the win early. Williams led off with a single, followed by another from Doherty. Deppiesse then collected her third hit of the game to load the bases. Coyle lifted a sacrifice fly to center, scoring Williams.
McHugh capped the rally with a single through the right side to plate Doherty — her third run of the day — and secured the Terrier’s second mercy-rule victory.
BU looks to carry this momentum into their upcoming three-game series against Army West Point, beginning Saturday with first pitche set for 12 p.m. at the BU Softball Field in Boston.