Army West Point Athletics
Army West Point
Boston University
Softball Set to Take on No. 22 Boston University in the First Game of the Patriot League Championships
May 08, 2024 | Softball
WEST POINT, N.Y- The Army West Point Softball team (14-37, 9-9 Patriot) will head to Boston to take on the top seeded Boston University (49-4-1, 18-0 Patriot) on Thursday at 10:00 AM.Â
The game will be played at the Boston College softball field. Fans can catch the action on ESPN+ and follow along live scoring here.Â
LAST TIME OUT
The last time Army took the field was in their regular season finale against Colgate.Â
The Black Knights defeated the Raiders in the series, thus, clinching the fourth seed in the Patriot League tournament.Â
Game 1:Â
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Army struggled initially, failing to get hits in the first two innings.
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Colgate gained momentum early, scoring in the first and second innings to take a 3-0 lead.
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Army clawed back in the third inning with hits from Klepfer, Edwards, and White, narrowing the lead to one.
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Both teams traded blows, with Army tying the game in the fourth and taking the lead in the fifth.
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Army solidified their victory in the seventh inning, scoring four runs to secure an 8-4 win, with strong pitching from Izzo and solid defense.
Game 2:Â
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The game began with both teams scoreless in the opening inning, with strong pitching from Army's Amanda Eaglin.
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Army's offense sparked in the second inning, with Sam Bocis and Kayla Edwards driving in runs to take a 3-0 lead.
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Colgate responded in the bottom of the second, narrowing Army's lead to two runs with Nimah Dougherty's RBI double.
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Momentum shifted in the third inning as Colgate tied the game with a two-run homer by Kiley Shelton.
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Despite both teams being scoreless from the fourth through seventh innings, Colgate secured a walk-off run in the bottom of the ninth inning to win the game, 4-3.
Game 3:Â
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Army quickly took the lead in the top of the first inning, with Kayla Edwards and Ashton White setting up Caitlyn Newburn's RBI hit to bring Edwards home.
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They extended their lead when White scored off a distraction during a caught stealing play.
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Olivia Farris and Army's defense prevented Colgate from scoring in the bottom of the inning, despite a leadoff hit.
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Army maintained their momentum into the third inning, with White hitting a home run to stretch the lead to 4-0.
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Despite Colgate's attempts to rally, Army secured a commanding 13-6 victory in the final inning, with strong offensive performances and solid pitching from Izzo.
MATCH UP HISTORY
In March, Army and BU clashed in the opening weekend of Patriot League play.
BU swept the first two games decisively, winning with scores of 9-3 and 9-0. However, in the final match, Army pushed BU to two extra innings before ultimately succumbing with a final score of 3-0.
Since 1990, Army and BU have faced each other 40 times. Currently, the Terriers hold the upper hand in the series, with 29 wins compared to Army's 11.
The last time Army managed to defeat the Terriers was in 2021, when they secured one victory in the regular season series with a score of 7-4.
TEAM AND PLAYER NOTES
Kayla Edwards and Ashton White were both honored with first team All-Patriot League recognition for their outstanding performances this season.
Edwards wrapped up the regular season boasting a .376 batting average, leading her team and placing her in the top five in the Patriot League standings. She also holds the top spot in total hits, accumulating 64 throughout the season, which not only leads Army but also secures her fourth place in the Patriot League rankings.
In addition to her impressive batting average and hit count, Edwards recorded 17 doubles, two triples, two home runs, and 22 RBI, making significant contributions to Army's journey to the Patriot League Championships. She achieved 19 multi-hit games and maintained a batting average of .500 or higher in 20 games.
White concluded the 2024 regular season with a .375 batting average, placing her among the top six in the Patriot League rankings. She has emerged as a key player for the Black Knights, leading the team with 39 RBI, firmly securing her position within the top four in the Patriot League. Additionally, White leads the team in home runs with five this season.
Consistently delivering throughout the regular season, White tallied one or more RBI in 24 games and recorded 18 multi-hit games, which were instrumental in securing Army's spot in the Patriot League Championships.
Freshman Sam Bocis earned her first Patriot League weekly honors following the Colgate series.
In the three games against Colgate, Bocis achieved a career-high batting average of 5-for-10.
During Army's playoff-clinching 13-6 victory, Bocis went 2-for-4, contributing two RBIs and scoring two runs.
SCOUTING THE OPPONENTÂ
BU heads into the Conference Championships boasting an unblemished 18-0 conference record and an impressive 49-4-1 overall record.
The Terriers aim to clinch consecutive conference championships after their victory over the Black Knights in 2023, securing their spot in the NCAA Regionals.
In addition to their stellar performance on the field, the Terriers dominated the Patriot League 2024 Postseason Accolades.
Senior outfielder Lauren Keleher earned Player of the Year honors for her outstanding .415 batting average and a formidable .672 slugging percentage across 54 starts this season. Keleher, a two-time NFCA All-Region First Team member, enters the postseason with 76 hits, 41 RBIs, 51 runs scored, and eight home runs, with her 76 hits tied for seventh in NCAA DI this season.
BU's graduate third baseman, Caitlin Coker, secured Defensive Player of the Year for the second consecutive year. Coker closed the regular season with 53 putouts, 70 assists, a .976 fielding percentage, and four double plays. Additionally, she contributed 48 runs scored alongside a .418 batting average.
Pitcher of the Year went to Kasey Ricard, who posted an impressive 24-3 record this season with a League-leading 1.26 ERA, ranking tenth nationally. Ricard leads NCAA DI with 14 shutouts and has claimed the Patriot League Pitcher of the Week title five times. She logged 189.0 innings and struck out 241 batters, ranking sixth at BU and third nationally.
Guiding the team is head coach Ashley Waters, named the 2024 Patriot League Coach of the Year. Waters has led BU to the number one seed in the championships for the sixth consecutive year and steered them to an undefeated league record (18-0), a first in BU's Patriot League history. Under her leadership, the Terriers enter the postseason ranked No. 22 in the USA Today/NFCA Coaches poll, with Waters boasting five postseason titles.
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