Black Knights Split Doubleheader with Colgate

Saturday, April 7

West Point, NY

1 PM

Army West Point

14-20, 0

Colgate

5-22, 0

Army

Colgate

Black Knights Split Doubleheader with Colgate

April 07, 2018 | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

WEST POINT, N.Y. – After cruising to a 6-1 victory in the opening game of a Patriot League doubleheader against Colgate, the Army West Point softball team was defeated 8-5 in the second tilt on Saturday afternoon.

Courtney Springman started inside the circle against the Raiders (6-22, 2-3 Patriot League) in the first contest and gave up just two hits in a complete game effort. The Black Knight (14-21, 4-4 Patriot League) freshman allowed one earned run and struck out six en route to the win.

Four Cadets picked up hits in both games, including Taylor Drayton, who batted 3-for-6 with three RBIs. Taylor Livingston and Carrie Reilly both had productive days at the plate as well, combining for five hits, five runs and three RBIs.

GAME 1: ARMY 6, COLGATE 1

ARMY HIGHLIGHTS AND GAME NOTES

Springman made her 20th collegiate start and posted her 13th career complete game.
After picking up six punch outs, she tied Shauna Evans '99 for ninth in single season strikeouts with 110.
It was the 16th straight start that she allowed three or fewer earned runs.
Drayton tallied her fourth collegiate two-bagger.
Reilly swiped her third bag this season.
The junior crossed the plate twice in a game for the first time in her career.
Livingston recorded her sixth career multi-hit outing.
Kristen McPeek notched her fifth multi-hit effort this season.
The top-five batters in the Army lineup combined to draw nine walks.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Colgate experienced some control issues early in the contest and Army took advantage. With two outs and the bases loaded after three walks, Lacey Swafford came up and belted a two-RBI single down the line in right to put Army on top 2-0.
The Raiders answered in the bottom half of the opening frame with a run of their own to trim the deficit to one.
It remained a one-run game until the third. Two walks and a hit batsman loaded the bases up for Army and Swafford lifted a ball to deep left, allowing a run to score on the sacrifice fly.
In the top of the fourth, the Cadets had the bases loaded once again and Reilly drew a two-out walk. With one run already in, Drayton sent a ball to the left side of the infield. The Colgate player was unable to apply the tag and another run crossed to make it 5-1.
Army tacked on an additional insurance run in the sixth. Reilly led off the inning with a single to left and scored once Drayton blasted a double to deep left center that bounced to the fence.
In the final four innings, Springman shut down the Raider offense, limiting the opposition to no hits and two baserunners.

GAME 2: COLGATE 8, ARMY 5

ARMY HIGHLIGHTS AND GAME NOTES

Ballesteros recorded her third three-hit outing this season.
She became the first Cadet this year to eclipse the 30-hit mark.
Drayton notched her fifth career multi-hit game and fifth collegiate double.
The freshman extended her hitting streak to four games.
Izzy Gates made her first start this season and picked up her first collegiate two-bagger.
Reilly scored twice in the contest.
Maddie Kim and Carrie Reilly extended their hitting streaks to four games.

HOW IT HAPPENED

The Raiders scored a run in the first and maintained the one-run advantage until the third. Army loaded the bases for Reilly and she ripped a two-RBI single into center to put the Black Knights ahead, 2-1. Another run was plated in the frame once Kim drew a bases-loaded walk.
Colgate trimmed the deficit to one with a run in the bottom half of the inning. In the fifth, the Raiders loaded the bases and cleared them with a three-RBI double to left.
Trailing 5-3, the Cadets came to hit in the sixth and with a runner on first and one out, Gates hit a liner to the gap in right center. Julia Wyatt, who was pinch running, came all the way around to score to make it a one-run game.
However, the Raiders responded in the bottom of the sixth with three runs.
Army had one final chance to come back and despite a Drayton RBI double, the Black Knights were unsuccessful and ultimately fell, 8-5.

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