Army West Point Athletics
Army West Point
Lafayette
Army Sweeps Lafayette In Sunday's Series Opener
April 17, 2011 | Softball
Game 1 - Box Score
Game 2 - Box Score
EASTON, Pa. - Army swept both ends of a Patriot League softball doubleheader from Lafayette Sunday afternoon at Metzgar Fields, winning the first game 14-6 in five innings capitalizing on 12 hits. The Black Knights erased a 1-0 deficit in the nightcap and held on for a 6-4 decision in moving to 20-17 and 4-6 in the conference, while Lafayette slipped to 2-31 and 0-10.
Sophomore second baseman Alex Reynolds had a monstrous showing in Army's first-game win going 4-for-4 with five runs batted in and four runs scored, and was 5-for-8 with six RBI and five runs scored in the twinbill. Catcher Rachael Duval smacked a home run in both games going 3-for-7 with four runs batted in and three runs scored.
Army jumped out to a 13-0 lead in the first three innings of the opener with Reynolds and Duval keying the outburst. Reynolds, batting No. 3 in the lineup, doubled home leadoff batter Amanda Nguyen (4-for-4), who led off with a bunt single, for the first run of the game. Reynolds advanced to third on a wild pitch and was one of three runs in that frame to cross on an illegal pitch, along with Alexis AuBuchon and Duval, in opening a 4-0 lead.
A five-run outburst in the second inning, capped by Duval's two-run homer, padded Army's advantage to 9-0. Shortstop April Ortenzo knocked in Reanna Johnson (walk) and Nguyen (bunt) with a one-out single deep to left field off reliever Al Henry. Ortenzo stole second and was delivered on Reynolds' single up the middle. With two outs and Reynolds at first base, Duval smacked her fourth home run of the season in closing out the scoring.
The Black Knights tacked on four more runs in the third with Ortenzo (2-for-4) delivering her third RBI of the game with her RBI single scoring Natalia Gruenbaum, who was hit by a pitch. She moved around on a fielder's choice and bunt single by Nguyen. Ortenzo and Nguyen where on base when Reynolds' ripped a three-run home run (season sixth) to left center field.
Lafayette scored a pair of runs in the bottom of the fourth on a run scoring single by Mary Episcopo and fielder's choice RBI by Jordan Parsons to draw to 13-2. The Black Knights added another run in the top of the fifth when Reynolds crossed on an infield error on Angela Deger's grounder to the shortstop as Army scored a season-high 14 runs.
The Leopards batted around in the bottom of the fifth inning scoring four runs in chasing reliever Marina Northup (3-3), who pitched 2.1 innings in the circle. Starter Shawna Bleyl, who threw a one-hit shutout over the first two frames, returned in the top of the fifth with one out. After yielding a bases-loaded walk and RBI single, Bleyl ended the Leopards' rally on an infield popup and force play at home plate en route to throwing a two-hit shutout over 2.2 innings in the circle.
In the nightcap decision, the Black Knights overcame a 1-0 first inning deficit with six runs in the top of the fifth inning as Army capitalized on five hits, three going for extra bases. Nguyen singled home a pair and scored on Ortenzo's RBI triple. Reynolds drove in Ortenzo with a double up the middle and was delivered on Duval's two-run homer that knocked out reliever Lauren Hanson and brought back starter Melissa Robinson (1-11) as the Black Knights batted around in that frame.
Robinson, who was touched for three of six runs, held Army to just one hit over the final two frames and denied the Black Knights from scoring in the seventh with a runner in scoring position.
Freshman right-hander Haley Pypes (8-8), who threw a six-hitter and struck out three, got into a jam in the bottom of the fifth inning as Lafayette capitalized on four straight walks and a double to score three runs in drawing to within 6-4 of Army. Pypes did not allow a runner into scoring position in the sixth, then nipped Lafayette's threat in the seventh with bases loaded and two outs on a groundout to the second baseman.
Army collected seven hits off two Leopard pitchers with Nguyen, Ortenzo, Reynolds and Duval registering hits in both wins. Nguyen was 5-for7 with two RBI and two runs scored, Ortenzo was 3-for-7 with four RBI and three runs scored, along with Reynolds and Duval who combined for 10 RBI and eight runs scored.
The Black Knights and Leopards will close out the four-game series with a doubleheader Monday slated for 2 and 4 p.m.
AROUND THE LEAGUE: Colgate maintained its first-place lead with a 10-1 mark after taking two of three games from Lehigh with weather forcing the postponement of Saturday's nightcap ... Holy Cross and Bucknell split with the Crusaders sweeping Sunday's twinbill after falling twice on Saturday to show an 8-4 mark to list third in the standings ... Lehigh is 8-3 and second in the standings with Army in fourth place (4-6) followed by Bucknell (3-9) and Lafayette (0-10).
