With a season-opening win over Long Island under its belt, Boston College softball headed into its second day at the Florida Gulf Coast University Kickoff Classic to take on Kent State and Texas.
The Eagles (2–1) split their first double header of the season on Saturday with a 4–3 win against Kent State (2–2) followed by a 7–0 loss to Texas (3–1).
After BC won its first game on Saturday, things quickly turned around for the Eagles against Texas. From start to finish, Texas outhit the Eagles and stayed solid in the outfield.
The Longhorns got out to an early start after Mary Iakopo homered to left center, bringing in two runs in the top of the first. Texas scored once more in the third but didn’t truly pull away until the fifth inning.
With the bases loaded in the top of the fifth, Brianna Cantu—who finished the night with three RBIs—walked, sending McKenzie Parker home. In Texas’ next at-bat, BC pitcher Abby Dunning hit Brianna Smith to advance the runners, and Camille Corona scored to put the Longhorns up five. Iakopo then scored off a sacrifice fly from Alyssa Washington to give the Longhorns their third run of the inning.
BC didn’t hit its stride for the rest of the game, and Texas scored one more in the seventh to seal the deal with a 7–0 win.
Earlier in the day, BC defeated Kent State.
The Eagles took their first lead of the game in the top of the second, as freshman Hannah Slike hit a double to left field. Darien McDonough quickly followed with a single, and both players scored on an RBI single by Kennedy Labshere to end the inning.
Kent State rallied in the bottom of the third inning, scoring two off an error by Labshere at first base. But the Eagles quickly regained the lead in the top of the fourth thanks to the duo of McDonough and Slike. Slike tripled early in the inning, and McDonough doubled to bring her home and put the Eagles back on top 3–2.
BC kept its momentum rolling in the top of the fifth. Ellie Mataya reached first on a fielding error by Kent State’s shortstop before stealing second. She advanced to third on a single by Kristin Giery and scored on a single from Nicole Giery, putting BC ahead by two.
The game didn’t heat back up until the bottom of the seventh. Kent State scored on an error, and BC right hander Susannah Anderson relieved Peyton Schnackenberg in the seventh. Schnackenberg gave up six hits in 23 at-bats through six innings. Anderson shut out Kent State in the bottom of the second, clinching the game for the Eagles.
Featured Image by Aditya Rao / Heights Staff
