Softball Sweeps Lehigh in Opening Day of Patriot League Play

Saturday, March 22

Bethlehem, Pa.

12:00 PM

Army West Point

14-12, 1-0

Lehigh

12-15, 0-1

Army West Point

Lehigh

Photo by: Carrie Johnston

Softball Sweeps Lehigh in Opening Day of Patriot League Play

March 22, 2025 | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

BETHLEHEM, Pa. — Army West Point Softball (14-12, 2-0) made a statement on the first day of Patriot League play, sweeping the Lehigh Mountain Hawks (12-16, 0-2) in doubleheader action.

With the wins, Army earns its first two wins of Patriot League play as well as clinches its first Patriot League series win of the season.

Game one of the doubleheader was the second time in three games where the Black Knights played went to extra innings. This time, the Black Knights came out on top, went Sienna Tepley hitting an RBI sacrifice fly to send the go-ahead run in Breanna Coonfare home, with Army ultimately earning a 4-3 win.

Amanda Eaglin went on to earn the win in game one. Eaglin entered the game in the bottom of the seventh after Lehigh scored the game-tying run. She got out of a bases-loaded jam and caused the Mountain Hawks to go three-and-out in the bottom of the eighth with two strikeouts to get her fourth win of the season.

Three Black Knights had two hits in game one, those being Ashton White, Annie Christiana and Maisi Sigler. Sienna Tepley led the way with two RBIs, with Annie Christiana and Caitlyn Newburn each adding one RBI.

In game two, the Black Knights dominated offensively and defensively, with the Black Knights scoring nine runs while shutting out the home team to take a 9-0 series-clinching win.

The Black Knights were led offensively by Ashton White and Sam Bocis. Ashton White finished the second game with three hits, totaling five hits in two games of action on Saturday. Sam Bocis led the team with three RBIs while also earning a career-best two triples in the game.

Katelyn Flanders and Amanda Eaglin combined for the shutout, with Eaglin eventually adding another five strikeouts to her total to finish with a total of seven strikeouts. It was Flanders who ultimately got the win, improving to 3-3 on the season.

GAME 1

The Black Knights got out to a strong start, scoring one run in the top of the first. Annie Christiana got the bats going with a double, then Ashton White added a single to advance Christiana to third.

Caitlyn Newburn then reached on a fielder's choice, which allowed Annie Christiana to run home, making a difficult dive to home and avoiding the tag to put Army's first run on the board.

Breanna Izzo received the start for the Black Knights, causing Lehigh to go three-and-out to close out the first.

Army got its second run across the board in the top of the second, allowing the team to take a 2-0 lead.

Samantha Sims started the inning with a lead-off single. Then Tayten Moore placed a perfect bunt which forced an error to allow herself on base and advance Sims to second. Sims would go on to steal third, then Annie Christiana singled down the left field line to get Army's second run on the board.

Breanna Izzo and the Black Knights kept the Lehigh offense at bay in the second inning. After allowing a walk, Leila Hurst put out the next batter and Ashton White and Samantha Sims teamed up for a double play to end the second.

Both teams were held scoreless in the third. Both teams had one hit in the inning, with Maisi Sigler earning a single for the Black Knights. Breanna Izzo also earned her two strikeouts in the bottom of the third.

Army was held scoreless again in the fourth inning. Lehigh gained its first run in the bottom of the fourth by hitting a single, having two sacrifice hits to advance the runner to third and then an error by the Black Knight offense allowed the runner to advance home.

Both teams held each other scoreless in the fifth inning, keeping it a 2-1 game heading into the sixth inning. Maisi Sigler started the sixth inning with a single up the middle, with Maaika Dones coming in to pitch run for the freshman. Tayten Moore went on to add a sacrifice bunt to advance Dones.

Then Sienna Tepley had her first timely swing of the day with a single to left field to send Dones home, making it a 3-1 game in Army's favor.

The Mountain Hawks bats got hot in the bottom of the sixth, with Lehigh hitting three singles in a row to eventually score a run off Breanna Izzo. After the three singles, Libby Levendowski came in for relief. After a walk loaded the bases, Levendowski finished the inning with two strikeouts to retire the inning.

Ashton White was able to hit a double in the top of the seventh, but no other action from the Black Knights offense sent it to the bottom of the seventh.

Lehigh responded in the seventh inning. After a flyout, the Mountain Hawks earned a triple. The next batter added a double, sending the tying run home to make it a 3-3 game. Another Mountain Hawks was added to the base with a walk. After the walking, Amanda Eaglin came in for relief.

Eaglin started the inning with a strikeout, then a walk loaded the bases. Eaglin was then able to get out of the jam forcing a pop-up that Leila Hurst recovered, sending the game to extras.

Breanna Coonfare started the second with a single to second base. Then two batters later, Emma Murchison came in to pinch hit, ultimately hitting a timely single to advance Coonfare to third. Then Sienna Tepley had another timely hit to foul territory, allowing Coonfare to tag and eventually gain the go-ahead run.

Amanda Eaglin shut the door in the bottom of the eighth with two strikeouts and forcing a fly out, giving Army the 4-3 extra-innings win.

GAME 2

Similar to game one, the Black Knights started the game by putting runs on the board, this time taking a 2-0 lead. It started with Leila Hurst forcing a walk, then Ashton White hitting a single that would advance Hurst to third.

Then with two outs, Emma Murchison hit a two-out double up the middle, sending Hurst and White home to give the Black Knights a 2-0 lead. The Black Knights would load up the bases again, but ultimately left three stranded in the top of the first.

Katelyn Flanders earned the start for the Black Knights, with her and the Black Knight defense only allowing one hit to keep Lehigh runless.

Army would score again in the second inning, making it a 3-0 game. Sienna Tepley started with a walk, then two batters later Annie Christiana singled up the middle to advance Tepley. Ashton White would add another single up the middle, with Sienna Tepley barely beating the relay home to add the run.

In the bottom of the second, three walks loaded up the bases, but Flanders was able to get out of the jam and keep the Mountain Hawks scoreless.

Army would again score in the third, making it a 4-0 game. Action did not begin until there were two outs on the board. Sam Bocis would then hit her first triple of the day. Then Sienna Tepley put the ball in play forcing an error and sending Bocis home.

The Mountain Hawks bats started to connect in the third inning, hitting three singles off of Katelyn Flanders. But Flanders got out of the jam again, with a strikeout ending the inning to keep the Mountain Hawks without a run.

The Black Knights did not see much action in the fourth or fifth inning offensively, going three-and-out in both innings.

As for the defense, in the fourth inning, Lehigh was able to get two on base with a hit and a walk. Then Amanda Eaglin came in for the second time, forcing a flyout and earning a strikeout to retire the fourth.

The Mountain Hawks earned another walk and hit, this time off of Eaglin, but another strikeout courtesy of Eaglin and a pop-up sent the game to the sixth inning.

After an out to start the inning, Sienna Tepley got back on base with a walk. Leila Hurst added a hit right behind her, advancing Tepley into scoring position. Two batters later, Ashton White hit a single to send Tepley home, making it a 5-0 game in the sixth.

The Mountain Hawks would add another hit in the bottom of the sixth, but the Black Knight defense showed up again to keep Lehigh without a run.

Army would grow the lead even more in the final frame, scoring for runs to make it a 9-0 game. Caitlyn Newburn started with a single, then Emma Murchison reached on a fielder's choice that took out Tayten Moore, who was pinch-running for Newburn.

Maisi Sigler then doubled to get on base, then Maaika Dones advanced on fielder's choice, loading the bases for Sam Bocis.

The shortstop would then hit her second triple of the game, clearing the bases and making it an 8-0 game. Sienna Tepley would add another double in the inning, making it a 9-0 game.

In the bottom of the seventh, two Mountain Hawks would get on base, but three strikeouts for Amanda Eaglin in the inning gave Army the sweep on day one of action.

NEXT UP

The Black Knights will aim for the series sweep on Sunday, as they will take on the Mountain Hawks for the final time in the three-game series.

The third game of the series will begin at 12 p.m. on Sunday and will air live on ESPN+.