Army Completes Sweep at Patriot Classic

Sunday, March 5

Fairfax, Va.

10 AM

Army West Point

10-4

Columbia

1-6

Columbia

Army West Point

Army Completes Sweep at Patriot Classic

March 05, 2017 | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

FAIRFAX, Va. – The Army West Point softball team completed its 5-0 weekend at George Mason's Patriot Classic with victories over Columbia and Fairfield on Sunday.

The Black Knights improved to 11-4 on the season, while Columbia dropped to 1-6 and Fairfield fell to 2-6.

ARMY HIGHLIGHTS AND GAME NOTES

Army is now 4-6 against Columbia in the all-time series and 16-17 versus Fairfield.
The Black Knights are currently on an 11-game winning streak.
With the win over Columbia, the Cadets defeated a non-conference opponent three times in a single season for the first time since 2013 when it won against Delaware 4-2, 4-3 and 7-0.
Freshman Emily Ballesteros and sophomore Ashley Yoo led the offensive effort on the weekend, hitting at a clip of .412 (7-for-17) with six RBIs each.
Ballesteros recorded two doubles, a triple and scored twice, while Yoo scored three runs and had a double and triple.
In the circle, Kristen West captured two of Army's five wins as the senior allowed just one earned run in 8.1 innings of work (0.84 ERA).
Sophomore Renee Poirier also picked up a pair of complete games while tossing 15 innings, allowing four earned runs and tallying a team-high 11 strikeouts.

LINEUP BREAKDOWN vs. COLUMBIA
Yoo (2B): 2-for-3 with a run scored
Trotter (RF): 1-for-1 with a run scored
Ballesteros (3B): 1-for-3 with a double and an RBI
Ontiveros (C): 0-for-2 with a walk and a run scored
Gaff (1B): 0-for-3
Gray (DH): 0-for-3
Rashenskas (SS): 1-for-3 with an RBI
Poirier (P): 1-for-2
Swafford (LF): 1-for-2 with a triple
McKinney (CF): N/A

Poirier (P): Seven innings, eight hits, two runs (zero earned runs), two walks, seven strikeouts

FACTS & FIGURES

Army scored two runs on seven runs and committed two errors, while Columbia totaled two runs on eight hits and had one error.

HOW IT HAPPENED vs. COLUMBIA

After shutting down the Lions in the top of the first, the Black Knights sprinted out to a 3-0 advantage.
It started with a leadoff single by Ashley Yoo, who scored on a throwing error that advanced Amelia Trotter to second.
Emily Ballesteros followed that up with an RBI double to left field, before Katie Ontiveros scored on an Alee Rashenskas single.
Columbia notched its first hit against Renee Poirier on the season in 6.1 innings in the second inning with a single.
The Lions turned up the heat late after both pitchers had been dialed in throughout the middle of the game, scoring on a pass ball in the sixth inning and a fielder's choice in the seventh.
Poirier was able to weather the storm and preserve the victory for the Black Knights.

LINEUP BREAKDOWN vs. FAIRFIELD
Yoo (2B): 3-for-5 with a triple and four RBIs
Trotter (RF): 1-for-4 with a walk
Ballesteros (3B): 2-for-3 with two walks and a run scored
Ontiveros (C): 0-for-4 with a walk and a run scored
Kim (DH): 0-for-3

Hartman (PH): 0-for-0 with a walk

Gaff (1B): 1-for-2 with two runs scored and an RBI
Rashenskas (SS): 0-for-0 with four walks, two runs scored and an RBI
West (P): 1-for-2 with a walk, run scored and RBI

Smith (P): 0-for-1

Swafford (LF): 1-for-3
McKinney (CF): N/A

West (P): Four innings, four hits, one run (earned), one walk, one strikeout
Smith (P): Three innings, one hit, zero runs, three walks

FACTS & FIGURES

The Black Knights totaled seven runs on nine hits and one error, while Fairfield notched one run on five hits and one error.

HOW IT HAPPENED vs. FAIRFIELD

Army opened the scoring in the second inning with an RBI infield single from Ashley Yoo that plated Taylor Gaff.
Fairfield answered in the bottom half of the frame with a fielder's choice to even the score at 1-1.
That would not last long, however, as the Black Knights put up a five-spot in the third.
After a bases-loaded walk from Kirsten West, Yoo cleared the bases with a triple to center to give the Black and Gold a 5-1 advantage.
The score would remain until the fifth inning, when Alee Rashenskas scored on a wild card.
Rashenskas drove in the final run of the contest with another bases-loaded walk that plated Ballesteros.