Softball Splits PL Doubleheader With Lehigh

Saturday, April 25

Bethlehem, Pa.

12:00 PM

Army West Point

22-22-1, 9-7

Lehigh

31-7, 11-2

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Army West Point	0	0	0	2	0	0	0	2	5	1
Lehigh Mountain Hawk	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	5	0

Softball Splits PL Doubleheader With Lehigh

April 25, 2015 | Softball

Box Score

April 25, 2015

Box ScoreArmy-Lehigh Game 2 

BETHLEHEM, Pa. - Sophomore Kristen West scattered four hits throwing shutout ball over the final six innings after being touched for an unearned run in the first inning as Army West Point softball rallied to defeat Patriot League leader Lehigh, 2-1, with a pair of runs in the fourth inning in the first game of a doubleheader.

The Black Knights led 1-0 in the first inning of the nightcap, but the host Mountain Hawks overcame that early deficit scoring multiple runs in the second and fifth innings for an 8-1 victory to earn a split.

Army West Point's first game win was just the second league defeat suffered by Lehigh (12-2) as the Black Knights kept their hopes alive for a Patriot League Tournament berth in improving to 9-8 in the conference.

Trailing 1-0 in the opener after Lehigh scored an unearned run in the bottom of the first, Army West Point got on board in the top of the fourth with a pair of runs on three hits after being held scoreless by Emily Bausher, last year's league's pitcher of the year, over the first three frames.

Kasey McCravey beat out an infield hit to start off the go-ahead fourth and raced home on Gladys Esparza-Gallegos' double to left center field to tie the game 1-1. Esparza-Gallegos (2-for-3) moved to third on Kristen McPeek's sacrifice bunt and scored on Alee Rashenskas' fielder's choice RBI for the tie-breaking run. Emily Gray singled but a strikeout ended the inning.

After Bausher retired the side in the fifth inning, the Black Knights threatened in the sixth and seventh innings but stranded two in each. With one out in the top of the sixth, Esparza-Gallegos led off with a single to right field, moved to second when McPeek drew a walk and both moved up a groundout, but the Cadets were denied insurance runs when the next batter popped up.

In the seventh inning, co-captain Alex Gaff ripped a leadoff single up the middle but was out on a fielder's choice at second. Xiomara Perez, who reached on the fielder's choice, moved to second when Hailey Megge drew a walk. A flyout to left field and an infield popup ended that threat.

West, who leveled her season record to 8-8, went the distance on a five-hitter, walked five and struck out one, stranded runners over all seven innings as Lehigh left 10 runners on base.

After being touched for the unearned run,West got out of a jam in the bottom of the first inning on a flyout to center field and groundout in leaving a pair of runners on base.

Issuing a walk in the second inning with one out, West did not allow the runner to advance past first base. She left a pair of runners on base in the third, fifth and sixth innings with the lead runner in scoring position, but nipped the threat on a fielder's choice, and flyouts to center field.

West retired the side in the bottom of the seventh as Army West Point defeated Lehigh in its first conference game at its new complex. The win is also the second straight over the Mountain Hawks, dating back to last year when the fourth-seeded Black Knights defeated the top-seeded Mountain Haws in the opening round of the Patriot League Tournament, 5-1 in nine innings.

Army had five hits off Bausher with Esparza-Gallegos registering two hits along with an RBI and scoring a run.

"Today's first game was a huge victory for us on many levels," said Army head coach Michelle DePolo. "It was a very well played game by both teams, and I'm glad we were able to earn a much needed Patriot League victory.

"Lehigh is a great team, and we need to put together good games to beat them. I thought Kristen West did a fantastic job on the mound and the defense played flawless behind her. Gladys Esparza had a tremendous game, both offensively and defensively, that created the end result. If we keep putting complete games together and have different people stepping up, good things will happen as a team."

 NIGHTCAP

The Black Knights jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the nightcap on McPeek's fielder's choice chasing home McCravey (2-for-3), who beat out an infield hit, stole second and was sacrificed to third by Esparza-Gallegos.

After giving up the run, Christine Campbell (14-2) retired five straight batters before yielding a leadoff infield hit to Xiomara Perez in the top of the third. Campbell, who scattered four hits, struck out four and issued one walk, retired the side. A double play in the fourth and fifth innings ended Army's threat after drawing a walk in the former and a hit up by the middle by Gaff in the latter.

Army West Point threatened in the sixth inning when McCravey ripped a one-out single to left field. She moved up on a hit batsman and fielder's choice before being stranded at third as the next batter grounded out as Campbell retired the side en route to ended the game retiring five straight batters.

Lehigh (32-7, 12-2 PL) erased Army's 1-0 lead with three runs on four hits keyed by Alexis Watanabe's two-run single in the second with West coming in and leaving bases loaded as the Mountain Hawks pulled ahead 3-1.

West stranded three runners in the third and another in the fifth before Lehigh batted around in the fifth in scoring five runs on five hits to pad its lead to 8-1. Smith returned to the circle and stranded runners at first and second.

The Black Knights and Mountain Hawks close out the three-game series with a single game Sunday, 12 noon, at Leadership Park.

AROUND THE PATRIOT LEAGUE: Host Holy Cross (5-9) was swept by Bucknell (9-5) 5-2 and 3-0 ... Colgate (9-5) fell twice to Boston University (6-8), 4-3, 6-3 ... Army (9-8) and Lehigh (12-2) split.