Boston College softball entered its Saturday afternoon game against Canisius riding the high of its walk-off victory over Loyola Chicago earlier that morning, as the Eagles jumped out to a quick 5–1 lead.
From then on, it was just a matter of keeping things under control on defense as the Eagles (7–5) cruised to an 8–2 victory over the Golden Griffins (2–6).
After a Gator Robinson walk and a Zoe Hines sacrifice bunt, Hannah Slike started the scoring for the Eagles on a double to left field. But Canisius took no time to respond in the bottom of the inning.
A throwing error from Robinson allowed Alyssa Cloutier to reach base and Ella Johel eventually brought her home on a sacrifice fly.
The second inning started with Jordan Stephens striking out. But four straight BC hits put that strikeout in the rearview and quickly put the Eagles up 4–1.
Then, just one batter later, Slike recorded a triple to center field to bring Robinson home and extend the lead to five.
The third and fourth innings flew by, as the two teams combined for just two hits. The top of the fifth was more of the same, but the Golden Griffins got things going for the first time since the first inning in the bottom of the fifth.
Morgan Cook got things started with a walk before advancing to second on a bunt. A couple singles brought Cook home and Canisius was looking at runners on first and second with just one out.
Johel then drew a five-pitch walk, loading the bases for the Golden Griffins. BC decided to look to the bullpen and bring in Bailey Kendziorski to try to shut down the Canisius’ opportunity.
And that she did. Retiring the next two batters on strikes, Kendziorski maintained the Eagles’ 5–2 lead.
A few insurance runs from Robinson, Slike, and Emma Jackson in the top of the seventh put things completely out of reach, securing the 8–2 win.
The earlier game went a lot less smoothly for the Eagles. Staring down a 5–1 deficit entering the final inning, the Eagles looked well on their way to a loss to Loyola Chicago (2–9).
But BC refused to go down without a fight. Stephens got the seventh inning started with a double to left field, and Janis Espinoza followed it up with a single.
Darien McDonough was then tapped to pinch hit and delivered, reaching on a fielder’s choice and scoring Stephens from third.
Robinson then took the plate, managing to reach on a fielding error from Loyola Chicago’s Ali Pawlowicz.
A Slike single would eventually load the bases for the Eagles. With one out and still trailing 5–3, Maycee Hilt stepped up to the plate with the winning run standing on first.
But three pitches later, she found herself walking back to the dugout with a K next to her name. Now with one out remaining, it was crunch time for Meghan Shouten.
After four pitches Shouten was in a 2–2 count—one strike away from sending her team packing. But then she saw her pitch and launched a bases-clearing double to right field, flipping the game on its head and handing her team a 6–5 victory over the Ramblers.
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