Army West Point Athletics
Army West Point
Holy Cross
Army Rallies In Sixth To Defeat Holy Cross
May 13, 2011 | Softball
HAMILTON, N.Y. - No. 4 seed Army overcame 4-1 deficit with five runs in the fifth inning, keyed by Rachael Duval's two-run single, to defeat No. 3 Holy Cross to advance to the next round of the double-elimination Patriot League Softball Tournament at Eaton Street Field Friday afternoon.
The Black Knights (28-24) face top seed and host Colgate in the elimination game with the winner advancing to Saturday's championship round to face No. 2 Lehigh. The Mountain Hawks defeated Colgate 9-0 in five innings in a winners' bracket game earlier in the day.
The Crusaders (18-31) scored a run in the first inning and two in the third before Army scored an unearned run in the fourth inning to draw to 3-1. Holy Cross answered back with a run in the top of the fifth to pull out to a three-run advantage.
The Black Knights rallied on five hits and one error to score five runs in the bottom of the sixth along with knocking out starter Kali Haas after she was touched for back-to-back hits to Amanda Nguyen and April Ortenzo to start off the inning. Alex Reynolds knocked in Nguyen for the first run with a single, then Army loaded the bases on Haley Pypes' single up with middle with one out.
Duval followed with a hit to left center field. The Army catcher knocked in Ortenzo and Reynolds, then scored along with Pypes on relief pitcher Caitlin Belanger's overthrow to second base when she hurled the ball into the outfield.
After giving up a run in the top of the seventh with one out, Pypes (16-12) left the tying run stranded at second on a strikeout looking in going the distance on eight hitss along with five strikeouts and five walks.
