Army Splits Midweek Twin Bill with Quinnipiac

Thursday, April 20

West Point, N.Y.

3:30 PM

Army West Point

27-16

Quinnipiac

19-18

Quinnipiac

Army West Point

Army Splits Midweek Twin Bill with Quinnipiac

April 20, 2017 | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

WEST POINT, N.Y. – The Army West Point softball team returned to its home field with a doubleheader split against Quinnipiac Thursday at the Army Softball Complex.

The Bobcats edged the Black Knights in game one, 2-1, while Army came away with a 4-0 shutout victory in the night cap.

The Cadets are now 28-16 on the season, while Quinnipiac remains at .500 with a record of 19-19.

In a tight pitcher's duel, Lexi Courtney's solo shot to right center in the second inning was the difference on one of Caroline Smith's few mistakes of game one.

The senior righty was back to her old ways in the circle, retiring the Bobcats in order in four of the seven innings, in addition to setting down 11-straight hitters. That streak was snapped by her counterpart, Casey Herzog, who recorded a single to center with two outs in the fifth.

The Black Knights faced a 2-0 deficit heading into their final at-bats of the opening contest, but did not go quietly as back-to-back hits by Ashley Yoo and Kennedy Harrison put runners on the corners with no outs for the pinch hitter, Maddie Kim. Rookie Amelia Trotter entered as a pinch runner for Harrison and stole second to put the game-tying run 120 feet away from home. On the next pitch, Kim knocked home pinch-runner Mae Wadyka for Army's first run of the game.

Army continued to threaten by loading the bases and putting the game-winning run on second, but was unable to scratch across the equalizer.

In game two, Renee Poirier showcased another quality pitching performance for the Cadets, tossing her first complete game of the season without surrendering a walk. It was the Plainville, Mass., native's 11th time going the distance this season in her third shutout.

The Cadets flipped the script in the night cap by sprinting out to a 2-0 lead in the second inning on a hit from Emily Ballesteros that plated Alee Rashenskas and Lacey Swafford. That lead doubled in the following frame that started with Rashenskas reaching on a one-out single and stealing second. Rookie Katie Ontiveros came up with the big hit of the inning as she drilled the 2-2 offering to right center field for an RBI double. She would later came around to score Army's fourth run of the game.

Quinnipiac had a number of chances to get on the board throughout the game, including a bases loaded, two out situation in the fifth, but Poirier always shut the door just in time to preserve the shutout.

The Army defense was impressive as well, especially to close out the final innings. Ontiveros made a phenomenal diving catch for the final out of the sixth inning to get out of a second-and-third jam, as well as Rashenskas ending the game on a lineout double play to secure the victory.

ARMY HIGHLIGHTS AND GAME NOTES

Army is now 7-10 in the all-time series against Quinnipiac.
This was the first time that the Black Knights' pitching staff has not issued a walk in back-to-back games on the year.
Co-captain Alee Rashenskas recorded career hit No. 210 with an infield single in the bottom of the first in game two to take sole possession of sixth-place on Army's all-time hits list.
Rashenskas also documented her first season with 10 or more stolen bases.
Carrie Reilly recorded her first hit of the season with a pinch-hit single in the sixth inning of the night cap.
Renee Poirier notched her 11th win of the season, tying last season's total.
Poirier tossed a complete game for the 11th time this season, while earning her fifth-career shutout.
With the shutout, Poirier drops her team-best earned run average to 2.04.

LINEUP BREAKDOWN
GAME ONE
Rashenskas (2B): 0-for-3
Swafford (DP): 1-for-4 with a stolen base
Ballesteros (3B): 0-for-2 with a hit by pitch
Ontiveros (1B): 0-for-3
Yoo (LF): 2-for-3

Wadyka (PR): One run scored

Harrison (SS): 1-for-3

Trotter (PR): One stolen base

Smith (P): 0-for-2

Kim (PH): 1-for-1 with an RBI
Hoover (PR): N/A

Hartman (C): 0-for-3
Gates (RF): 1-for-2 with a walk
McKinney (CF): N/A

Smith (P): 7.0 innings, four hits, two runs (earned), 0 walks and three strikeouts

GAME TWO
Yoo (CF): 0-for-4
Swafford (LF): 1-for-3 with a run scored

Reilly (PH): 1-for-1
McKinney (PR): N/A

Rashenskas (2B): 2-for-4 with two runs scored and a stolen base
Ontiveros (1B): 1-for-3 with a double, run scored and an RBI
Ballesteros (3B): 1-for-2 with a walk and two RBI

Wadyka (PR): One stolen base

Harrison (SS): 1-for-3 with an RBI
Cole (DP): 1-for-3
Kim (C): 0-for-2 with a walk
Gates (RF): 0-for-2

Trotter (PH): 0-for-1

Poirier (P): 7.0 innings, eight hits, 0 runs (earned), 0 walks and two strikeouts

FACTS & FIGURES

In game one, the Black Knights scored one run on six hits and committed one error, while Quinnipiac notched two runs on four hits and were perfect defensively.
In the night cap, Army plated four runs on eight hits and had one error, while the Bobcats were held scoreless on eight hits and committed four errors.

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