Army West Point Athletics
Army West Point
Buffalo
Softball Defeats Buffalo At Colonial Classic
March 02, 2012 | Softball
March 2, 2012
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Freshman right-hander Morgan Lashley went the distance on a three-hitter, fanned four and walked three, and Marina Northup ripped a two-run double to highlight a four-run third inning explosion in Army's 7-2 defeat of Buffalo in the opening game of the Colonial Classic hosted by George Washington at Mount Vernon Field Friday morning.
The win is the third straight for the Black Knights (5-3), while the Bulls slipped to 2-8.
Army staked Lashley (4-3) to a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning for what proved to be all the scoring needed. Alexis AuBuchon's two-out single up the middle delivered April Ortenzo, who drew a walk, for the first run. Designated player Rae Anne Payleitner ripped an RBI double to knock in AuBuchon and Alex Reynolds (walked), the latter for the game winner.
The Black Knights padded their lead in the fourth inning with Northup's two-run double closing out the scoring as Army capitalized on four hits (two of those doubles), a hit batsman and two errors to score four runs for a 7-0 advantage. With one out, Reynolds ignited Army's flurry with a double to left field. Following an out, AuBuchon's single and the left fielder's error allowed Reynolds to score. After Payleitner was hit by a pitch, Rachael Duval singled to right with AuBuchon advancing to third, then scoring on an error by the catcher for the second run in that inning.
With runners at first and second, Northup smacked her first double of the season and career third to drive in Duval and Payleitner, but was thrown out trying to stretch her hit to a triple.
After collecting six hits and seven runs after three innings to chase starter Tori Speckman, the Black Knights went not as successful against reliever Holly Johnson. The senior hurler kept Army's bats silent throwing hitless ball retiring seven of the eight batters she faced, walked one and struck out three. While Johnson was keeping Army in check, Lashley was just as effective against the Bulls.
Collecting her fourth win of the season, Lashley got out of an early jam with a strikeout swinging with runners on the corners in the top of the first inning. The freshman hurler retired the side in the second inning and the first two batters she faced in the third before a hit batsman snapped her run at six straight. Lashley, in the midst of a one-hitter, ended the inning inducing the next batter to ground out to the shortstop.
Buffalo drew a pair of walks in the fourth inning, but a caught stealing and groundout ending that threat. After holding the Bulls to one hit, Lashley got roughed up at the start of the fifth as Buffalo opened that frame with back-to-back home runs. The freshman quickly recovered and did not allow a hit the rest of the game, retiring seven straight and nine of the final 11 batters she faced. The Bulls stranded six runners, including a pair in the top of the seventh after reaching on a walk and hit by pitch.
AuBucho, who was 2-for-2 with a pair of runs and an RBI, stretched her hitting streak to eight straight. It is the second time she has stroked multiple hits this season. The senior first baseman, who co-shares the captaincy with Duval, leads the team with a .417 batting average collecting 10 hits in 24 at bats with two runs batted in and four runs scored. Payleitner and Northrup drove in a pair of runs to tie with Reanna Johnson for the team lead in RBI with four.
The Black Knights take on host George Washington in the second game the opening day. Army has just one game scheduled for Saturday, squaring off against Siena at 9 a.m., followed by a pair of games Sunday versus Robert Morris and Stony Brook at 11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m., respectively.
