Smith Fires Two-Hitter In 7-2 Decision Over FDU

Wednesday, March 25

West Point, N.Y.

3:00 PM

Army West Point

9-15

Fairleigh Dickinson

3-9

FDU Knights

Army West Point

Smith Fires Two-Hitter In 7-2 Decision Over FDU

March 25, 2015 | Softball

Box Score

March 25, 2015

Box Score

WEST POINT, N.Y. - Sophomore right-hander Caroline Smith recorded her second straight win in 24 hours firing a two-hitter, drove in a run and scored a run, as Army defeated Fairleigh Dickinson University, 7-2, in a non-conference softball game Wednesday afternoon at the Army Softball Complex.

The win is the second straight for the Black Knights, who improved to 9-15 heading into Patriot League action this weekend. The Knights, a member of the Northeast Conference, fell to 3-9.

Junior third baseman Kasey McCravey, who went 1-for-2 with two runs scored and an RBI, led off the bottom of the first inning with a solo home run off Loren Stavrou in staking Smith to a quick 1-0 lead.

FDU tied the score 1-1 with an unearned run in the top of the second inning, but Army snapped it with four runs in the home half highlighted by Kristen McPeek's bases-clearing triple as the freshman outfielder went 2-for-4 with three RBI to boost the Black Knights' lead to 5-1.

In the go-ahead second, Gladys Esparza-Gallegos, who was hit by a pitch with one out and moved around on a fielder's choice and walk to McCravey, scored with two outs on an error by the shortstop to snap the 1-1 tie.

McPeek took a full count offering and ripped the ball to right center field for her first triple of the season, but was one of three runners stranded after Stavrou reloaded the bases on a walk and hit batsman before getting out of the inning on a groundout.

Smith (2-8) kept the Knights in check over the next three frames retiring eight of the nine batters she faced before being touched for a hit and run in the top of the sixth inning as FDU drew to 6-2. With runners in the corners, she nipped the rally on a grounder to the second baseman, then left bases loaded in the top of the seventh.

Army padded its lead with a run each in the bottom of the fifth and sixth innings with Smith having a hand in both. Batting No. 6 in the lineup, Smith ripped a one-out single up the middle in the fifth, moved to second on Esparza-Gallegos' hit, and crossed on pinch hitter Emily Gray's single as Army collected four hits in that frame. After yielding four straight singles and walking another, Stavrou stranded three runners on a play at home plate.

In the bottom of the sixth, Smith's one-out double delivered Taylor Gaff, who drew a walk, in closing out Army's scoring.

Smith scattered two hits, struck out five and issued five walk yielding two runs, just one earned, in hurling Army to the victory. McPeek and Smith each collected two of the Black Knights' eight hits.

Army scored seven runs against both Iona and FDU racking up 14 runs along with collecting 19 hits, (ive doubles, a triple and a home run) with 11 RBI batting .322 over the past two days.

In addition to posting a 2-0 mark and 1.85 ERA scattering nine hits over 11.1 innings, along with holding opponents to a .205 batting average this week, Smith keyed Army offensively. She batted .571 going 4-for-7 with a pair of doubles for a .857 slugging percentage, along with driving in a run and scoring twice.

McCravey hit .500 this week going 3-for-6 with four RBI, three runs scorerd, a double and home run, for a 1.167 slugging percentage. Gaff and Emily Gray batted .400 with McPeek hitting .375 with four RBI and a .750 slugging percentage.

The Black Knights head into Patriot League play on a two-game winning streak when they take on Holy Cross in a three-game series this weekend at West Point in the conference debut for both teams.