Army Sweeps Aside Boston University, 4-0 & 13-10

Saturday, April 11

Norton, Mass.

12:00 PM

Army West Point

16-19, 0

Boston University

8-21, 0

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Army West Point	0	4	0	0	0	0	0	4	6	2
Boston University	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	6	0

Army Sweeps Aside Boston University, 4-0 & 13-10

April 11, 2015 | Softball

Box Score

April 11, 2015

Box Score

NORTON, Mass. - Army pounded out 20 hits for 13 runs, both season highs, in the nightcap as the Black Knights swept a Patriot League doubleheader from preseason favorite Boston University Saturday afternoon with the games held at Wheaton College due to unplayable field conditions at the host school.

Caroline Smith hurled Army to both wins, going the distance on a six-hit shutout in a 4-0 win in the opener keyed by Kasey McCravey's mammoth grand slam. The Black Knights outlasted the Terriers 13-10 in the nightcap behind Xiomara Perez' two-run homer in the sixth and Emily Gray's RBI sinlge in the seventh  to complete their third conference doubleheader sweep in moving to 17-19 overall and 7-4 in the league.

Emily Gray and McCravey each drove in four runs as nine Army players had a hand in 26 hits in the twinbill. Smith pitched 11.1 innings in the circle to pick up both wins in improving to 10-10 overall and 6-2 in the conference with Kristen West earning her first career save.

After stranding a runner at second base in the top of the first inning in the opener, the Black Knights struck for four runs in the second with McCravey delivering the key blow with her two-out bases-clearing home run to left center field. It is the second time this season she smacked a grand slam, have hit the key blow in a 5-2 win over Holy Cross in Army's league debut.

Gray led off the second inning with a single, Perez drew a walk off Melanie Russell (2-5) following by a pair of outs. Hailey Megge's single loaded the bases to set the stage for McCravey, 2-for-4, who smashed her sixth home run of the season and second in conference play to stake Army to a 4-0 lead.

After being touched for three of her six hits in that inning, Russell scattered three hits over the remaining five frames. The BlackKnights threatened in the third, fifth and seventh innings with runners in scoring position, and though Russell was able to work her way out, Army had the edge.

Smith, who scattered six hits, struck out two and issued three walks, nipped rallies in the last two innings stranding five runners in preserving Army's first shutout of the season. A flyout to right field ended a bases-loaded threat in the sixth and a groundout with runners at first and second ending another in the seventh.

Army struck for a pair of runs on RBI oubles in the top of the first in the nightcap. Alee Rashenskas doubled home Gladys Esparza-Gallegos who ripped a two-bagger to left field), and scored on Gray's single up the middle.

A pair of hits produced a run for the Terriers in the bottom of the first as they drew to 2-1, then pulled ahead of the Black Knights 4-2 behind a three-run third fueled by Gabi Martinez' three-run double.

Army regained the lead in its next at bat and was never headed again as it struck for five runs on five hits in the top of the fourth inning in pull ahead 8-4 with Gray's (4-for-5 with four RBI) two-run single to center field delivering the final two runs.

Esparza-Gallegos (4-for-5 with three RBI and three runs scored) singled home Smith (who led off with an infield hit) for the first run and scored on McPeek's single to the gap with Rashenskas' groundout delivering Tyler McKinney, who reached on a error, for the third run followed by Gray's two-run blast.

The Black Knights padded their lead with three runs in the top of the fifth keyed buy Esparza-Gallegos' two-run single as Army built its lead to 10-4.

Esparza-Gallegos and Gray each had four hits along with three by Smith with Perez, McPeek and Rashenskas each collecting two as six Black Knights had multiple hits. 

After Boston University rallied with five runs in the home half of the inning to draw to 10-9, Perez' two-run home in the sixth and Gray's RBIsingle in the seventh delivered insurance runs as Army pull ahead 13-9. After yielding a run in the seventh, West, who took over in the fifth inning, stranding a pair of runners to halt the threat.

The Black Knights close out the series Sunday with the game being played 3:30 p.m. at Boston College.