Army West Point Athletics
Army West Point
22-16
Central Connecticut State
13-22
Softball Sweeps Doubleheader at Home Against Central Connecticut State
April 09, 2025 | Softball
WEST POINT, N.Y. — Army West Point Softball (23-16, 6-0) broke its four-game losing skid on Wednesday, sweeping a doubleheader against the Central Connecticut State Blue Devils (13-23, 8-4).
In game one, the Black Knight offense got going, scoring five runs, and the Black Knight defense was stifling, allowing Army to shut out the Blue Devils, 5-0.
Emma Murchison led the Black Knights offensively in game one, hitting a two-run home run in the first inning, finishing the game batting .500 and earning a team-high two RBIs. Annie Christiana, Maisi Sigler, Leila Hurst and Samantha Sims each added a hit with Sims also adding an RBI.
Breanna Izzo received the start, finishing the game only allowing four hits and having five strikeouts, ultimately getting her twelfth win of the season.
Game two was led by a pitching masterclass from Amanda Eaglin and the offense sparked to life in the sixth with five runs, with Army ultimately taking its second 5-0 win of the day.
Amanda Eaglin finished the game with a career-high 10 strikeouts in seven innings pitched, only allowing one hit and two walks, gaining her sixth win of the year.
As for the offense, Maaika Dones finished the second game with three hits on three at-bats plus an RBI, with Leila Hurst adding two hits of her own. Annie Christiana, Emma Murchison, Ashton White, Taylor Brown and Caitlyn Newburn each added a hit in the game. Newburn also tallied a game-high three RBIs on a base-clearing double.
GAME 1
The Black Knights dominated the first inning on both the offensive and defensive sides. Game one starter Breanna Izzo and the Army defense forced the Blue Devils to go three-and-out.
Meanwhile, the Black Knights offense got started at the jump. Annie Christiana started with a leadoff double, with Emma Murchison following suit with a deep home run to left field to make it a 2-0 game.
In the second inning, the Blue Devils earned their first walk and hit off of Izzo, but a strikeout and two putouts stranded two Central Connecticut State runners stranded on base. In the bottom of the inning, the Black Knights went three and out.
Army forced the Blue Devils three-and-out again in the third, with two ground outs and a strikeout from Izzo. At the bottom of the inning, Caitlyn Newburn was able to get on with a walk but ultimately was also left on base.
The Blue Devils picked up their second hit in the top of the fourth, but the Black Knights defense and another strikeout from Breanna Izzo kept the visiting team scoreless. Army then went three-and-out for the second time in game one, keeping the game score at 2-0.
Central Connecticut State led off the top of the fifth inning with a walk, but a flyout and two strikeouts in the inning by Izzo kept the Blue Devils runless. Emma Murchison led off the inning with a walk but was left on the base paths, keeping the game at 2-0.
The Army defense continued to be stifling in the sixth inning, with the Black Knights forcing a foul out, putout and groundout after the Blue Devils earned a walk to retire the inning.
In the bottom of the sixth inning, the Black Knights ran away with the game, scoring three runs off two hits and one error from the Blue Devils to take a 5-0 lead.
The inning started with Taylor Brown drawing a walk, then Leila Hurst singling to third base. Then Samantha Sims added a single of her own for an RBI, sending Taylor Brown home.
Then Julia Farris came in to pinch hit for the Black Knights, putting the ball in play and forcing an error by right field, sending Sims and Sienna Tepley, who entered the game to pinch run for Hurst, home to make it a 5-0 game.
In the top of the final frame, the Blue Devils tried to rally back, earning two hits off of Izzo, eventually advancing a runner into scoring position on third, but a final ground out forced by Izzo and the Black Knight defense, ending the game giving Army the 5-0 win.
GAME 2
In the first inning, the Blue Devils were able to force two walks, one off of starter Katelyn Flanders and one off of Amanda Eaglin who came in as relief after one at-bat. The Black Knights added two putouts and Eaglin delivered her first strikeout to end the top of the first inning.
Emma Murchison got her second hit of the day, singling to the shortstop. Ashton White forced a walk, then Taylor Brown advanced to first on a fielder's choice, allowing Murchison to advance to third. Despite having one in scoring position, Army left the inning runless.
In the second inning, Eaglin found her groove, striking three batters consecutively to retire the first half of the inning. Maaika Dones added a single in the second inning but was left stranded.
The Blue Devils started the third inning with a walk, but a fielder's choice, a ground out and a line out ended the top of the inning. Annie Christiana started the bottom of the third with a single, but an Emma Murchison pop-up and a double play from the Blue Devil defense retired the inning at 0-0.
In the fourth inning, the Blue Devils would reach base on two errors by the Black Knights, but another three strikeouts from Eaglin would keep the Blue Devils off the board. Hurst would reach on a single to left field, but Army was unable to convert to a run, keeping it scoreless after four innings.
As for the fifth inning, Central Connecticut went three-and-out, featuring another strikeout from Amanda Eaglin. As for the Black Knight, Maaika Dones recorded another hit, but Army would still not generate a run.
In the top of the sixth inning, the Blue Devils went three and out again, featuring Eaglin surpassing her career-high with her ninth strikeout of the game. Army then made its offensive move in the bottom of the sixth.
The bottom of the sixth inning contained five runs off five hits, making it a 5-0 game in Army's favor.
After a flyout, Ashton White started the inning with a one-out double. Taylor Brown then hit an RBI single at the next at-bat, making it a 1-0 game.
Leila Hurst then added another single, advancing Taylor Brown to third base. Maisi Sigler then reached on a hit-by-pitch, fully loading the bases. Then Caitlyn Newburn coming into pinch hit, hit a base-clearing three RBI double to give Army a 4-0 lead.
Then Maaika Dones got her third hit of the day, finishing 3-3, hitting a single through the left side, enabling Tayten Moore, who pitch ran for Newburn, to advance home, making it a 5-0 game heading to the final frame.
The Blue Devils would get their first hit of the game in the seventh, but Amanda Eaglin closed the game with a tenth strikeout to set her career high, giving Army another 5-0 win.
ON DECK
The Black Knights continue their homestead at the Army Softball Complex on Saturday and Sunday as they play their first game of Patriot League play in two weeks, taking on the Holy Cross Crusaders.
Army has dominated the series history against Holy Cross, holding a 48-20 overall record over the Crusaders. The Black Knights are also on a six-game winning streak over the Crusaders, sweeping the season series in 2023 and 2024.
Army and Holy Cross are scheduled to face off on Sunday at 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. and on Monday at 11 a.m., with the game on Sunday airing live on ESPN+.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Izzo, Breanna (12-5)
L: Alina Varga (5-10)
Batting:
2B: Christiana, Annie 1
HR: Murchison, Emma 1
RBI: Murchison, Emma 2 ; Sims, Samantha 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Christiana, Annie 1 ; Murchison, Emma 1 ; Brown, Taylor 1 ; Hurst, Leila 1 ; Sims, Samantha 1
SB: Sims, Samantha 1 ; Tepley, Sienna 1
