Army Suffers 5-4 Heartbreaker To Colgate In Series Finale

Thursday, April 2

West Point, N.Y.

3:00 PM

Army West Point

12-18, 3-3

Colgate

9-10, 5-1

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Colgate Raiders	0	2	0	0	0	3	0	5	9	1
Army West Point	1	0	0	1	0	2	0	4	9	1

Army Suffers 5-4 Heartbreaker To Colgate In Series Finale

April 02, 2015 | Softball

Box Score

April 2, 2015

Box Score

WEST POINT, N.Y. - Megan Carnase nipped Army's rally in the bottom of the sixth and kept the Black Knights off the scoreboard in the final seventh to pick up the save as Colgate outlasted the Black Knights, 5-4, to complete a three-game Patriot League series sweep Thursday afternoon.

Colgate ( 9-10, 5-1), who swept a doubleheader from Army Wednesday, snapped a 2-2 tie with three runs in the top of the sixth inning. Starting pitcher Brigit Ieuter's RBI single up the middle delivered Gillian Murray, who led off with a double, to chase Army starter Caroline Smith (5-10).

With two outs, Katie Bushee's hit into the gap in right center field off reliever Kristen West delivered Ieuter, and she scored what would prove to be the deciding run on Mariel Schlaefer's double to left field as Colgate pulled out to a 5-2 advantage after collecting four hits in that frame.

The Black Knights battled back in the home half of the sixth on Xiomara Perez' single delivering Kristen McPeek, who led off the inning with a double and moved to third on a wild pitch, as Army drew to 5-3.

With runners at first and second with no outs, reliever Kira Griswold (2-5), who had taken over from Ieuter in the fourth inning, retired the next two batters before yielding her third hit of the inning and fourth of the game. Pinch hitter Emily Gray took a 1-2 offering in singling home Rashenskas for the second run as the Black Knights closed to 5-4.

Carnase took over the circle and nipped Army's threat on a grounder back to the circle. After yielding a leadoff walk to McCravey in the seventh, she escaped safely on three straight grounders in earning her first save of the year.

Army jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first when McCravey led off with a double, moved to third on a wild pitch and stole home. After Colgate answered with a pair of runs in the second to pull ahead 2-1, the Black Knights tied the score 2-2 in the fourth on Smith's RBI single to right field that drove home McPeek (2-for-4) who beat out an infield hit and moved up two bases on Rashenskas' single and the center fielder`s error. Griswold took over and stranded Smith at second on a strikeout.

"Certainly two of these games were hard luck losses on one run games that came down to the wire or extra innings," said head coach Michelle DePolo, who suffered a 3-2 10-inning loss Wednesday and 5-4 defeat in the third game of the series Thursday. "They were hard fought, and inches here or there could have turned the tides.

"This has turned into a very busy week for us so there's no time to waste. We need to make small adjustments and prepare for another pivotal series this weekend."

The Black Knights will look to rebound this weekend when they head to Lafayette for a three-game Patriot League series with the Leopards.