Softball: Terriers Sweep Doubleheader over Lafayette on Senior Day

By Jose Rodriguez 

BOSTON – The Boston University Softball Team (35-17, 13-4 PL) swept Lafayette College (7-30, 5-12 PL) in a doubleheader Saturday, winning the first game 9-1 by mercy rule and shutting out the Leopards 5-0 in the second. 

“Just really proud of the complete games we played,” said BU Head Coach Ashley Waters. “We had solid defense. We had timely hitting, and I thought pitching was great from both Kasey and Danika.” 

Before the games, the Terriers honored seniors Sydney Pecoraro and Tyesha Williams for their commitment to the program. 

“They’re really great people. They’re incredible teammates,” Waters said. “They’re invaluable.” 

In the first game, junior starting pitcher Kasey Ricard took the win, improving to 23-10 on the season. She threw six innings, allowing one run on four hits and striking out six.

For the Leopards, Makayla Lecky took the loss, falling to 2-5. She pitched 5.1 innings, giving up 11 hits, nine runs and two walks.

In the first inning, junior shortstop Brooke Deppiesse doubled to left center but was thrown out trying to tag to third for the final out of the inning. 

Freshman left fielder Camryn Lyons opened the second with a double. Senior Kyomi Apalit later bunted for a hit to bring Lyons home for the game’s first run. A double steal scored another to make it 2-0.

Freshman infielder Kieren McHugh followed with a ground-rule double to left center to extend the lead to 3-0.

Throughout the first three innings, Ricard struck out five of the first nine batters she faced. 

The Leopards had a runner on second with one out in the fourth, when catcher Regan Dillon doubled to left field to cut the BU lead by two. 

The Terriers responded in the bottom half of the fourth. Sophomore catcher Livia Christopher drove in two with a single, and sophomore center fielder Kylie Doherty added an RBI single for a 6-1 lead. The Leopards committed two errors in the inning, fueling the three-run frame.

In the sixth inning, Ricard recorded three outs on just four pitches. In the bottom half, Deppiesse hit a two-run double to right center, took third on the throw and scored on a wild pitch to seal the win by mercy rule.

Doherty, Deppiesse and sophomore second baseman Libby Walsh recorded multi-hit games. Five different Terriers had hits, while four Leopards registered a hit in game one.

In game two, freshman Danika Nell threw a complete-game two-hit shutout, improving to 6-1. Lafayette’s Parker Rowden took the loss, dropping 2-9 in the season. She gave up five hits, five runs and three walks while striking out one batter. 

The first three innings of the game were a pitching duel. Each team had only one hit apiece as both teams set to enter the fourth inning. 

“I’m proud of Danika for that, because I think close games are a good thing. We’re going to be in close games,” Waters said. “Can we keep them at bay? Can we keep them off the base pass until our offense gets going?”

During the bottom half of the fourth inning, Lyons bunted and advanced to scoring position on a throwing error by right fielder Caroline Hall. 

With one out, second baseman Jocelyn O’Keeffe’s throw was dropped at third, keeping the inning alive. McHugh delivered a pinch-hit, two-run single for a 2-0 lead, and Walsh followed with an RBI double to left. 

“It definitely gives me some room to play around with the pitches,” said Nell on pitching with the lead. “The mission’s still the same. Get the next three outs and then move on. 

Right fielder Mia Naivar made a sliding catch in the fifth for the second out of the inning.

“It set the tone really well as we got back in the dugout and headed up for offense and then eventually we started to string hits together,” Nell said.  

O’Keeffe drew a walk in the fifth — the Leopards’ first base runner since Dillon’s second-inning single. Nell recovered to retire the next batter. 

In the sixth, O’Neill doubled to left, but Nell stranded her in scoring position.

Apalit doubled to left center in the bottom of the sixth, and Walsh followed with a two-run homer to give BU a 5-0 lead.

“She’s unreal,” said Nell. “I don’t know how you can hit a home run with a broken hand, but she seems to defy the odds every day, and we all have so much respect for her. She’s such a great player.” 

Walsh and Lyons had multi-hit games, while Doherty, Apalit and McHugh each recorded a hit. O’Neill and Dillon accounted for Lafayette’s only hits.

The Terriers will conclude the series Sunday at 11 a.m. at home.