Boston College softball commenced its season at the Florida Gulf Coast University Kickoff Classic in Fort Myers, Fla., home grounds of Major League Baseball’s spring training, and started out with a bang. But after a season-opening win over Long Island and a win over Kent State Saturday, BC went on a two-game losing skid.
But facing Kent State on Sunday for the second time, the Eagles ended their opening weekend in the win column with a walk-off victory.
The Eagles (3–2) dropped their second loss of the season to No. 8 Texas (4–1) on Sunday morning, falling to the Longhorns 5–0. In the afternoon, BC went round two with Kent State (2–3). The Eagles capitalized in the bottom of the seventh inning to take a walk-off, 3–2 win over the Golden Flashes.
The first three innings passed without a score, but Kent State broke the stalemate in the top of the fourth. Sabrina Kerschner doubled to center field, bringing in Julia Mazanec.
Kerschner reached home on an error at second base, advancing Delaney Robeson to first base.
Despite scoring a combined 13 runs in its first two games of the season, BC only scored three runs in its next three. In the sixth inning of Sunday’s contest against Kent State, senior Kristin Giery hit an RBI single to put the Eagles on the board for the first time.
One inning later, BC’s Gianna Boccagno reached first on an error in the infield, and Erika Andal came in to pinch run. Ellie Mataya singled up the third-base line, advancing Andal to second.
Kent State substituted pitcher Andrea Scali for Kylie Ringler from the bullpen.
Elisabeth Laviolette advanced Andal to third and Mataya to second on a sacrifice bunt, putting BC on the doorstep. Hannah Slike capped the comeback with a double into left field that brought in two runners and handed BC a 3–2, walk-off win.
The Eagles lost 5–0 to Texas earlier in the day Sunday, marking pitcher Abby Dunning’s first loss of the season.
Texas’ pitching core diced apart the Eagles lineup, striking batters out 72.3 percent of the time. The Longhorns went on to throw only 18 total balls behind starter Estelle Czech and reliever Shea O’Leary, who went five and two innings, respectively.
Texas scored four of its five runs in the bottom of the fourth inning after scoring its first run in the third. Dunning recorded two walks to start the inning, sending Bella Dayton and Camille Corona to first and second.
Janae Jefferson singled on a bunt but advanced to second on a throwing error at third base, scoring Dayton and Corona. Peyton Schnackenberg came in to replace Dunning.
With Schnackenberg on the mound, Texas’ McKenzie Parker came knocking with a two-run homer to put the Longhorns up five, where they’d sit for the rest of the game.
Featured Image by Aditya Rao / Heights Staff
