One of the many reasons that Boston College softball has found success on the diamond is the fact that contributions have come from everyone up and down the lineup and in the pitcher’s circle. Sure, the Eagles have their standouts, like junior Tatiana Cortez, who is batting .373 with a team-high 12 home runs and 34 RBIs, and the outstanding sophomore pitching duo of Allyson Frei and Jessica Dreswick, who have ERAs of 2.47 and 2.31, respectively. But BC has also enjoyed the consistent success of many underrated players. In its weekend series against Syracuse (27-23, 9-13 Atlantic Coast), BC (27-21, 9-8) was powered by its underclassmen. The Eagles proved themselves to be a ACC team, dominating a Syracuse team that on paper should have been competitive.
In the series finale, BC shut out Syracuse 6-0 for the second game in a row, and swept an ACC opponent for the second series in a row. Dreswick pitched another gem, tossing seven innings with one hit, coming within two outs of her second no-hitter in eight days. Dreswick and Frei combined to only give up two earned runs and gave up seven hits in 21 innings of work against the Orange.
The Eagles started their scoring in the top of the second, the first run scoring on a scorching single to left center from freshman Danielle Thomas that scored freshman Loren DiEmmanuele. Senior Jessie Daulton scored an unearned run when the third baseman could not handle a hot groundball from Cortez. Chloe Sharabba singled to left field to bring home sophomore Annie Murphy. BC added two more in the third on an RBI double to deep center field from Daulton that plated Thomas and sophomore Jordan Chimento. Cortez ripped a single to right field that scored Daulton in the fifth to extend the lead to six, which was more than enough for Dreswick.
While pitching was the definite strength for BC over the weekend, its offense was incredibly potent as well. Freshman Carly Severini went 4-9 with a double, two home runs, and seven RBI. Daulton went 6-12 over the weekend, and is now only five hits away from setting a new BC record for most hits in a season. Cortez went 5-11 and extended her hitting streak to 12 games. DiEmmanuele continued her speed streak on the bases, stealing four bases over the series, and is eight shy of the single-season record.
The Eagles swept both games on Saturday, winning the first 12-2 in five innings and the second game 5-0. BC’s 12 runs and 18 hits in the first game were season highs and the most runs it has scored since the 2015 season. Dreswick picked up her 12th win on the season, only allowing two earned runs and three hits.
BC started the scoring early in the top of the second, with Severini hitting a two-run home run to left field to jump out to a 2-0 lead. In the third inning, the Eagles added four more runs. The first scored when Chimento got hit with the bases loaded, forcing Sharabba across the plate. Severini hit a sacrifice fly to right field, plating senior Megan Cooley. Thomas and Daulton then hit back-to-back RBI singles that brought DiEmmanuele and Chimento home. Dreswick made her only mistake of the day in the bottom of the third, leaving a pitch over the plate that Ozanne ripped over the right-field fence.
This did not stop the Eagles, as they added six more runs to the scoreboard. Sharabba started off the inning with a solo home run over the center-field fence. DiEmmanuele got on with a single, and then stole second. Moore ripped a single up the middle that scored DiEmmanuele. Severini followed that with a double, and then Thomas hit a single that scored two more runs. BC batted around in the inning, and Sharabba came up again with the bases loaded and got hit to force in the 11th run of the game. Cooley then hit a line-drive single to left field that scored Murphy.
Game two was much of the same, with Severini beginning the scoring with her second solo home run of the day in the top of the third inning. Severini recorded another RBI on a groundout in the fifth that scored DiEmmanuele from third base. The sixth inning yielded three more innings for the Eagles. Cortez hit a double to deep center field that plated junior Madison Paulson, and Sharabba then hit a double of her own to plate Cortez. Severini then hit a line-drive single to right field that scored Sharabba. Frei threw a seven-inning shutout, allowing just three hits, walking two, and striking out seven Syracuse batters.
The wins came at an important time for the Eagles, as they are now in sixth place in the ACC, and with a stifling pitching staff and hot bats, the team looks poised to make a competitive run in the tournament.
Featured Image by Taylor Perison
