Boston College softball third baseman Nicole Giery fielded a ground ball in the bottom of the first inning of the game between the Eagles and Notre Dame. She fired it across the diamond to first base, and it appeared BC was on track to record its first out of the game.
But while Giery threw accurately to first base, there was no one to receive it, and Carlli Kloss advanced to second on the throwing error.
A fielding error by second baseman Emma Jackson allowed Kloss to score during the very next at-bat, and it seemed BC was in for a long day of self-inflicted wounds.
It turned out to be the very opposite in fact, as the Eagles (27–21, 7–14 Atlantic Coast) forced the Irish (26–22, 9–15) to strand three runners on base in the bottom of the inning en route to a 6–3 win on Sunday.
Crucial to the Eagles’ win was their defense, which gave up just two more runs in the contest, both of which came in the very last frame.
Abby Dunning, who pitched all seven innings and recorded her 12th win with the victory, posted two strikeouts and gave up four total hits.
Clean fielding also allowed BC to shut down the Irish’s offense. After the first inning, the Eagles only recorded one more error throughout the rest of the game.
BC’s bats loudly introduced themselves in the third inning, starting off with a Hannah Slike single to right field. After another single from Giery and Gator Robinson being hit by a pitch, the bases were loaded.
A wild pitch advanced Robinson to second, Giery to third, and sent Slike home to put the Eagles in the lead 2–1. Then, Jordan Stephens’ blast past the shortstop sent both Giery and Robinson home, to stretch the lead to three.
After a Jules Shields single, Makenna Segal sent Shield and Stephens home with a two-RBI single into the outfield to cap off the inning for the Eagles.
While BC did not score another run during the game, its powerful third inning was enough to secure the win.
The Eagles’ 6–3 win of the final game swung the series in their favor. The victory marked only the second time this season that the Eagles have won two straight games against ACC competition, with the first time coming against Syracuse in March.
The second game of the series on Saturday also saw the Eagles come out victorious, but in a much closer and more high-scoring affair.
The Eagles 10–9 win over the Irish saw a total of 22 hits and six home runs over the course of the game.
The Eagles offensive outpour was led by Segal, Slike, and Giery, who recorded a combined six hits.
Two of Segal’s three hits were home runs, and Slike and Giery also added a home run each for the Eagles.
Four other Eagles added hits, with Stephens, Shields, Jackson, and Zoe Hines recording a hit.
Dunning started the game on the mound for the Eagles, but was pulled after giving up three runs and walking three batters in a row in the bottom of the third.
Despite giving up six runs, Halie Pappion’s performance was just enough for the Eagles to snag a 10–9 win over the Irish.
On Friday, the two team’s first meeting of the series saw an equally tight game, but with less scoring and the Irish coming out on top. In the Irish’s victory, the Eagles recorded five hits in a 3–2 loss.
BC opened up the scoring with a RBI from Maycee Hilt that sent Shields home in the second inning.
The Eagles added another run with a sacrifice fly from Hines to send Jackson home in the fourth inning.
Despite BC’s early lead, the Irish responded by adding a run in each of the fourth, fifth, and sixth innings to put themselves in front. The Eagles’ lack of an offensive response let the Irish claim the first game of the series.
Dunning pitched the entire game, allowing five hits and striking out four batters in 20 at-bats.
