Army West Point Athletics
Army West Point
Colgate
Softball Swept By Colgate In Its Patriot League Debut
April 03, 2011 | Softball
Box Score (Game 1)
Box Score (Game 2)
WEST POINT, N.Y. - Rachael LeCoq and Courtney O'Connell went the distance firing four-hit shutouts as Colgate swept defending regular-season champion Army in the Patriot League softball debut for both at the Army Softball Complex Saturday afternoon. The Raiders collected 10 hits in a 4-0 defeat of the Black Knights in the first game of the doubleheader, then won the nightcap 2-0.
The losses dropped the Black Knights to 14-12 and 0-2 in the league, while the Raiders improved to 10-11 and tied with Holy Cross and Lehigh in the league with 2-0 marks following the opening day of competition.
Colgate broke on top in the first inning of the opener with a pair of runs after capitalizing on a hit and four walks off starter Shawna Bleyl (7-5). Cleanup batter Jen Ortega's fielder's choice RBI delivered leadoff batter Alan Dyson, who beat the throw by Bleyl to home plate to record the first run of the game. Dyson singled and moved around on a walk and fielder's choice in moving into scoring position. With two outs, Nicole Siedhof's bases-loaded walk forced in the second run of the inning before Bleyl induced the No. 8 batter to fly out to right field to leave bases loaded.
Army threatened in the home half of the first inning as LeCoq walked three of the first five batters she faced before getting out of the jam on a groundout. LeCoq did not issue another walk in scattering four hits over the rest of the innings along with three strikeouts.
After retiring seven straight batters, LeCoq worked out of a jam in the bottom of the fifth inning when Marina Northup reached on an error by the shortstop with one out. Northup moved around on an illegal pitch and single up the middle by Amanda Nguyen, but was stranded when LeCoq retired the side on a groundout and line drive to the shortstop.
The Black Knights challenged again in the sixth and seven innings with Alexis AuBuchon leading off the former with a single to right field and Rachael Duval doing the same in the latter with a double to left center field. LeCoq got out unscathed in stranding AuBuchon at third base (moved around on a stolen base and wild pitch) and Duval at second base.
Colgate added an insurance run in the top of the second in knocking out Bleyl after she issued a bases-loaded walk to Tera Vaught that forced in Natalie Siedhof, who drew a walk to start off the inning. After taking over the circle with bases loaded and no outs, Northup but did not allow the Raiders to do any more damage in that inning getting the first out on a force at home plate following by double play on a flyout to right field and throw home.
Northup did not allow Colgate into scoring position until the sixth inning when she was touched for a pair of hits with one out but stranded the runners on back-to-back groundouts. The Raiders padded their lead in the top of the seventh inning on Ortega's leadoff home run for her first hit of the game in four at-bats and second RBI. After yielding two more hits, both singles, Northup retired the side on a fielder's choice, her first strikeout, and a groundout.
Bleyl went the distance in the nightcap, holding Colgate to just one run over the first six frames before yielding the second in the top of the seventh in picking up the hard-luck loss along with the first game defeat in slipping to 7-6.
Trailing 1-0 after the top of the second inning, AuBuchon's leadoff shot in the bottom half went deep to center field and was grabbed by Vaugh on the fence to deny her the home run.
Army reached scoring position twice, both times with two outs, as O'Connell (3-7) scattered four hits, fanned six and issued a pair of walks. With two outs in the bottom of the third, Natalia Gruenbaum beat out an infield hit and moved to second on O'Connell's second walk of the game before being stranded following a fly out to right field. Northup ripped a two-out single to left field in the fourth inning and moved to second on a passed ball prior to a groundout. O'Connell then retired nine of the final 11 batters she faced to record her second shutout of the season.
Duval and Northup collected hits in both games as both went 2-for-6.
The Black Knights will look to bounce back in Sunday's twinbill being carried on ITT Knight Vision with the first pitch at 1 p.m.
Fans attending Sunday's doubleheader will be given the opportunity to meet their favorite Black Knights as the players will participate in an autograph session following the second game of the twinbill. Additionally, all children ages 12 and under are encouraged to take the field and run the bases at the Softball Complex.
