Through six innings, it looked like Boston College softball was well on its way to a much-needed victory over in-state rival Boston University. In fact, the Eagles were one out away from securing a 2-1 win over the Terriers. But Emily Morrow had other plans. The BU second baseman tripled in a pair of runs on a deep shot to center, walking off with a 3-2 victory.
Monday afternoon’s contest started very slowly, as the game was scoreless through the first five innings. Actually, each team only managed one hit through the first four innings. BC (11-20, 3-6 Atlantic Coast) pitcher Susannah Anderson and BU (18-15) pitcher Ali DuBois both coasted through the early portion of the game.
The action began in the sixth inning, when the Eagles scored two runs with two outs in the frame. Freshman Ellie Mataya doubled to left field and scored when Carly Severini reached base on an error by the BU left fielder. Senior Allyson Moore added to her five-game hitting streak, driving in Severini on a single to center. Moore is playing some of the best ball of her career, as she has also batted in at least one run in each of her last four games.
However, the Terriers got one run back in the bottom of the sixth off an Alexa Ponce single. The senior drove in Morrow on a base hit up the middle to cut the deficit in half.
By striking out the side in the top of the seventh, DuBois gave the BU offense a chance to win the game. In the bottom half of the inning, Anderson put runners on first and second with a walk and a hit batter. Still, BC was just one out away from the win. Unfortunately for the Eagles, Morrow blasted the ball to deep center field, scoring both runs, earning a walk-off victory for the home team.
It was a devastating defeat for the Eagles, as they had hoped to regain momentum before entering the heart of ACC play. Instead, BC suffered its third consecutive loss. It is even more frustrating for the Eagles, as they wasted a masterful pitching performance from Anderson. She’d allowed just one run through six-plus innings in what was her longest outing since allowing a lone unearned run in seven innings against Providence on March 20.
The Eagles will need to get over this loss quickly, as they travel to South Bend to take on a strong Notre Dame squad this weekend. It is necessary for the Eagles to get some wins on the board now, before the season truly slips out of control. BC is nine games under .500 and a big bulk of its problem has been pushing runs across the plate. The Eagles are third-to-last in the conference in average and second-to-last in runs scored, so the lineup hasn’t nearly been good enough to offset some shaky pitching.
Featured Image by Jess Rivilis / Heights Staff
