As the snow continued to fall in Chestnut Hill, it was all sun and blue skies in Orlando, Fla., for a perfect weekend to begin the 2015 Boston College softball season.
The Eagles played five games over the course of three days against two different teams, which saw the team finish with three wins and two losses.
It really was a tale of two teams for BC over the weekend, as the Eagles swept George Mason over a three-game series, thanks to an offensive output of nine, nine, and five runs, respectively. On the other hand, BC could not push across a single run in its two matchups against the University of Central Florida.
In the team’s season opener on Friday, the Eagles’ bats were hot. In the very first inning of the season, sophomore Tatiana Cortez blasted a two-run shot to give the Eagles a lead they would never relinquish. Cortez would later chip in another RBI to pad the lead as did Annie Murphy, Jessie Daulton, and Taylor Coroneos. Coupled with the team’s strong offensive outing, starting pitcher and freshman Allyson Frei tossed three shutout innings to earn her first win of her career.
Next up for the Eagles was the University of Central Florida. Looking to finish the first day of the season with a sweep, the Eagles bats could not repeat their performance against George Mason. UCF’s Shelby Turnier shut the Eagles down, pitching a complete game shutout and allowing only two hits while striking out 11. Frei was once again on the mound for the Eagles, logging another five innings, however, could not keep the momentum rolling, allowing four runs and walking five in the team’s 4-0 loss.
On Saturday afternoon, the Eagles returned to the diamond for another doubleheader against George Mason and UCF, which yielded almost identical results. In the first game of the day, the Eagles’ bats once again came alive against George Mason to the tune of a nine-run afternoon. After spotting George Mason an early 1-0 lead, the bats came alive for BC. The middle of the order for BC, consisting of Jordan Chimento, Chloe Sharabba, Taylor Coroneos, and Jordan Weed, could not be contained, combining to go 8-12 at the plate, with seven RBIs and six runs scored. Furthering the almost identical nature of the first game against George Mason, Frei once again got the start and the win on the mound. Frei finished three innings, allowing one run and striking out four.
Deja vu? After scoring nine runs and taking down George Mason, the Eagles fell in the second half of Saturday’s doubleheader to UCF in a shutout. Another UCF pitcher, Mackenzie Audus, went the distance, tossing a complete game shutout again against the Eagles in the 3-0 final.
In the fifth and final game of the weekend for the Eagles, BC must have been happy to see the familiar faces of George Mason in the other dugout. Once again, BC earned the victory, by a final of 5-1 in what was the most exciting game of the weekend. Tied 1-1 in the seventh, the Eagles’ bats once again showed up against Mason. Megan Cooley got the big inning started for BC with a huge RBI single, which was followed up by three more runs knocked in by Murphy, Daulton, and Cortez.
The real story of the game, as well as the tournament as a whole for the Eagles, was the pitching of Frei. The freshman capped her first series in a BC uniform with her first complete game, earning the win while pitching lights out in the final game.
The outcome of the weekend was undoubtedly a mixed bag for the Eagles, but exiting with a 3-2 record, it’s certainly something the team can build off of moving forward. Consistency at the plate will definitely be something to watch. The arm of Frei, however, has to have the team excited as the season progresses.
Featured Image by Emily Fahey / Heights Senior Staff
