Coming off a quality win over Connecticut on Tuesday, Boston College softball returned home, eying its second straight victory. Plagued with inconsistency so far this season, the Eagles have been struggling to break even overall, last winning back-to-back games in late March. BC has had issues crossing the plate at times and grappled with defensive miscues, losing multiple heartbreakers to start the season. On Wednesday night, though, the drama was largely absent.
Behind a complete game effort with 11 strikeouts from freshman Camryn Dolby and a late offensive push from the Eagles, BC knocked off visiting Fairfield, 4-0.
Dolby struck out the side to start the afternoon, setting the stage for an impressive day in the circle. BC’s offensive stalwart, Lexi DiEmmanuele, was prepared to capitalize on the Stags’ impenetrable defense, singling to right and stealing on the first pitch in the bottom of the first. Her efforts went unrecognized on the score card, though, as Karisa Hughen escaped the inning unscathed, ultimately stranding two runners on base
It soon became a pitchers duel, as both teams struggled to cross the plate through the third inning. After conceding a single to start the fourth, Dolby once again found her rhythm and closed the inning with her eighth strikeout of the game. The freshman has proven to be invaluable in recent games, eventually evening her record at 8-8.
Another scoreless frame paved the way for BC’s Kennedy Labshere, who brought Britney Richardson home with a groundout to score the Eagles’ first run. It proved to be all they needed the rest of the way, but they went on to add three more. Labshere’s effort highlighted the inning and hoisted BC to a much-needed advantage. After leaving two more on base, the Eagles headed into the fifth inning, where they put the game away.
Dolby retook her place in the circle and continued to shut out the Stags. The Eagles proceeded to score three unearned runs in the bottom of the fifth to secure the win, as Gianna Boccagno reached second on a fielding error, sending Jules Trevino to third and Emme Martinez across the plate. Ellie Mataya grounded out to third, bringing Trevino home to extend BC’s lead to 3-0. Boccagno scored the final run on a wild pitch to seal the 4-0 shutout, the Eagles’ second victory of the week.
Having lost a lot of talent last season, the Eagles are in the midst of a rebuild period. With a young team, BC has struggled to be competitive in conference play. Despite leading the ACC in errors, though, the Eagles didn’t commit one against Fairfield and had just one the day prior. These two games provide a bit of confidence for the team, and non-conference victories are essential in BC’s effort to inflate its win total going into another ACC-laden stretch. The Eagles will take on Louisville in a three-game series at home this weekend in hopes of improving their conference record with newfound momentum.
Featured Image by Celine Lim
