Shannon MacLeod was falling behind already. MacLeod had issued two walks and a single, loading the bases immediately in her first collegiate start. Blue Sycamores surrounded her as she readied for the next batter.
With no one out, the Sycamores put the ball in play. First baseman Makena Segal threw to home to get the forceout.
Still, MacLeod could not find command. MacLeod hit the next batter she faced, forcing Indiana State’s first run home. A sacrifice fly added another run to the Sycamores’ lead.
“Shannon, at times, can lose her command,” BC head coach Amy Kvilhaug said. “That’s one of the things that she needs to continue to work on. And that’s just kind of what happened, like she wasn’t commanding the zone well.”
After the Eagles (3–2) scored two runs in the first, MacLeod looked rejuvenated. After the nightmarish first inning, MacLeod brought the Sycamores (0–3) offense to a halt. MacLeod allowed no extra base hits and retired the last nine batters she faced, leading BC to a 8–2 win.
While MacLeod established her command, the Eagles offense united. Jordan Stephens hit the first BC home run in the fourth inning. The ultimately game-winning run was the first of an offensive outpouring.
The Eagles scored five runs in the fifth inning with no extra base hits.
“We had a couple sac [sic] flies, but we also created runs, too,” Kvilhaug said. “We stole bases. We took extra bases on bad throws. I think it was a culmination of a lot of different things.”
Gator Robinson stole both second and third, making for an easy score when Slike singled to right field. Hines scored from third on a wild pitch and Emma Jackson stole a base with a runner on third. The Eagles got their last run of the inning on a sacrifice fly.
The Eagles secured a win over FIU earlier in the morning. The Eagles were outhit 3–2 but prevailed in a 2–0 win over the Sharks.
Kelly Colleran took the mound for the Eagles and delivered seven scoreless innings. The first six batters were retired in order. Colleran had a low-stress outing.
Neither the Eagles nor the Sharks recorded a hit in scoring position. FIU, inauspiciously, never had a chance to hit with a runner in scoring position.
Through the first five innings, the Sharks had only three hits – a single each in the third, fourth, and fifth innings. The Sharks never rallied. Colleran extinguished any hope.
The Eagles were 0–2 in their RISP chances, but they made up with sacrifice flies.
Zoe Hines led off the fourth inning with a single. The middle of the Eagles’ batting order was next. Maycee Hilt doubled to left. Then, sacrifice flies from Emma Jackson and Jordan Stevens brought home both runners.
The Eagles struggled at the plate overall. Maycee Hilt’s second inning leadoff walk completes the list of Eagles reaching base.
“We’ve been really on point the last three weeks of our preseason with our offensive game, and I think we struggled a bit this weekend,” Kvilhaug said. “But it was nice that we came around as the week progressed.”
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