With Louisville up 5–4 on Boston College softball, the sixth inning of the two team’s Sunday matchup came to a close in what was shaping up to be a slow-paced, albeit, close, game. Nothing, though, could have prepared the Eagles for what was about to come next in the seventh inning.
After its win over the Cardinals on Saturday secured its spot in the ACC Tournament, Boston College (29–23, 9–15 Atlantic Coast) looked to fight Louisville (27–25, 8–16) for the seventh seed. But the Eagles were unable to complete a weekend sweep over Louisville, and ultimately fell 11–4 in Sunday’s matchup.
“We were hoping to play for that seventh seed, that was a possibility, but now we’re the eighth seed…we can still be the home team,” BC Head Coach Amy Kvilhaug said.
The game began with Louisville’s Daisy Hess and Bailee Richardson both walking. With players on first and second base, Riley Frizel hit an RBI single to left field, scoring Hess.
After Hess’s run, though, the Cardinals were unable to score again and ended the top of the first inning with three players left on base.
BC responded in the bottom of the first inning with a homer courtesy of Gator Robinson.
Neither team scored in the second inning, and it was not until the top of the third inning that the scoreboard saw a change.
After Richardson walked to first base, Vanessa Miller hit a home run, enabling herself and Richardson to put two runs on the board. With the score now 3–1, Louisville tried to maintain their momentum, but ended up leaving two players left on base at the end of the top of the third.
The Eagles attempted to tie the score in the bottom of the third, but Darien McDonough only managed a single before BC received three outs.
The Eagles allowed the Cardinals only one hit in the top of the fourth inning to keep the run differential at two, then BC made its move.
Leadoff hitter Giery singled through the right side. Gator Robinson followed with a single of her own, advancing to first while Giery ran to second.
Maycee Hilt came in swinging with a double to left field, giving Giery and Robinson a chance to run home and tie things up 3–3.
Louisville responded quickly in the top of the fifth with a homer from Gabby Holloway, and scored again in the top of the sixth after keeping the Eagles silent in the bottom of the fifth.
The score was 5–3 going into the bottom of the sixth. Giery hit her second homer of the game to help even the playing field. But although efforts were made by Robinson, who singled to left field, and Kamryn Warman, who walked to first, neither were able to score, and the inning ended with Louisville leading 5–4.
When the seventh inning began, the score was 5–4, and it looked as though the Eagles could possibly beat the Cardinals yet again. The idea of an Eagles win quickly slipped away, though.
When Hess stepped up to bat, Mia Forsythe was on second and Jac Hasty was on first. Hess did not just give one of them a chance to score, though. Her home run scored both of them, and herself, to put the Cardinals up 8–4.
Miller went up to bat with players on first and second base. She hit a two RBI double into right center, extending the lead to 10–4. Halloway flew out to center field moments later, scoring Miller to end the inning with Louisville up 11–4.
“We believe we can fight no matter what’s going on. If a couple things go a little bit differently, you continue to roll through the lineup because you never know what could happen…No matter what the score is, we never feel like we’re out,” Kvilhaug said.
As BC was unable to score in the bottom of the seventh, the game ended with a final score of 11–4. Louisville ended the game the seventh seed, and the Eagles the eighth, going into the ACC tournament.
“[Today] was a really good teacher and reminder of the little things,” Kvilhaug said. “I think we just missed the mark in doing little things well today and that caught up to us.”
Before their loss on Sunday, the Eagles secured a victory from the Cardinals in eight innings on Saturday. BC was able to win 4–3 despite their two-run deficit earlier in the game.
“[The game] showed that anything is possible…It was really special and we’re excited about going into postseason with that kind of fight,” Kvilhaug said.
Louisville scored twice in the top of the first inning and once in the top of the fifth, with BC scoring once in the bottom of the third and the bottom of the fifth.
BC kept Louisville from scoring in the top of the seventh, and was able to put a run on the board in the bottom of the seventh, tying the game 3–3.
Louisville failed to score in overtime, giving BC the chance to win.
With two outs already on the board and runners on first and second base, Robinson hit an RBI single to close out the game, securing the Eagles a spot in the upcoming ACC tournament.
“We all collectively did a really good job knowing what was at stake but staying in the moment and playing the game. Pitch by pitch, staying in the moment…we just need to focus on our own business and take care of it,” Kvilhaug said.
