Sunday: L, 17–3
Boston College softball played only 16 innings in its three-game series against No. 12 Virginia Tech this weekend.
The Eagles (10–23, 2–7) suffered not one or two, but three run-rule losses to the Hokies (31–4, 7–2), including a 17–3 defeat on Sunday afternoon. Virginia Tech has won nine straight and has the second-most total wins in the ACC.
The Hokies scored 12 runs in the second inning of Sunday’s game and closed the game in five frames as the Eagles failed to score in all but one inning.
BC put four different pitchers on the mound, but none could shut down the Hokies. Bailey Kendziorski got the start and gave up a two-RBI homer and a two-RBI double. Kelly Colleran came in to replace her but gave up two homers in the top of the second, including one that drove in three runs.
Shannon MacLeod and Sophie Kleiman both got time on the mound before the game was over, but BC was unable to stop the bleeding and fell behind 14–0 after two innings.
The Eagles put up three runs in the bottom of the third inning but were unable to muster any more, and the Hokies coasted to a 14-run win.
Friday Doubleheader, Game 2: L 14–4
After being mercy-ruled by the Hokies just 45 minutes earlier, BC went into the second game of its Friday doubleheader eager to make a comeback.
The question was how BC would turn things around. That started with a lineup change and freshman Alyx Rossi taking over on the mound.
The Hokies opened the game with three first-inning runs, leaving Rossi and the BC outfield shaken up. While the Eagles recovered quickly and put up two of their own, BC fell apart in the later innings and ultimately lost 14–4 as the Hokies took a 2–0 series lead.
BC’s bats were hot to begin the game. Its first run came from an Adriana Martinez single that allowed Kae DePerio to advance to home base, and Sammy Horn scored the next run thanks to a wild pitch from Virginia Tech to finish off the opening inning with the Eagles trailing 3–1.
“I think they stuck a little more to their plans early on in the game, and their at-bats—we kinda lost that later in the game,” BC head coach Beth Krysiak said.
The Hokies didn’t slow down at the top of the second, recording four more runs with two more homers in the mix. The Eagles couldn’t replicate their first-inning fire and didn’t score in the second inning, making the score 7–2 heading into the third.
There was a new face on the mound to start the third, as MacLeod returned for her second appearance of the evening after appearing in the first game of the doubleheader, albeit for just .2 of an inning. The Hokies only run in the third came off a MacLeod wild pitch, making the game 8–2.
“We have to let one mistake be one mistake and continue to come together over things versus fall apart,” Krysiak said. “A lot of that is our youth and inexperience. But they definitely care about each other a lot, and to kinda pick that up and have the energy and be a lot more consistent.”
The Eagles recorded two runs in the bottom of the third, starting with a leadoff double from Abby Ptak, followed by a two-RBI homer to deep right field from Martinez to bring them both home. It was Martinez’s fourth home run of the season.
The fourth inning was scoreless for both teams, as BC handed the Hokies a blank inning for the first time all game. But the bottom half of the inning marked a turning point for BC, and their offensive production quickly flatlined.
After MacLeod pitched a leadoff double and a single to start the fifth inning, Emily Van Cleef came in to relieve her. The Hokies scored two more runs off a two-RBI double, making the score 10–4.
BC failed to find home plate once again in the fifth as Virginia Tech maintained its strong lead. After Van Cleef allowed a two-RBI homer and an RBI double to center field, Sophia Bertorelli came in to finish out the game.
A sacrifice fly scored Rachel Castine, making it 14–4 and enacting the mercy rule—if BC didn’t score in the bottom of the sixth, the game would be over.
“We need to get a little more ahead of their hitters,” Krysiak said. “Because otherwise we’re giving them pitches to hit and they’re very good hitters, and they hit the ball very hard, and if we get ahead we get them chasing our pitches.”
BC was ultimately blanked in the sixth, and the game was cut short, ending in a 14–4 win for Virginia Tech.
Friday Doubleheader, Game 1: L 11–0
BC’s home opener presented a tall task for the Eagles as the Hokies strolled into Harrington Athletics Village looking for their seventh straight win.
The Eagles were outmatched from start to finish, as they never found home plate and lost 11–0 in five innings.
The opening inning started slowly with no runs for either the Eagles or the Hokies. But Virginia Tech took off in the top of the second, building a four-run lead.
The Hokies started with a home run from Gaby Mizelle. Addison Foster hit an RBI single to shallow left field. Then, another homer—this one from Jordan Lynch—brought in two more runs.
The Eagles recorded their lone two hits of the game in the bottom of the second inning, with a leadoff double from Martinez and a single from Tavye Borders. They couldn’t capitalize on either of them, though, and remained scoreless.
The fifth inning was the nail in the coffin for the Eagles. Despite BC switching pitchers twice in the frame, the Hokies couldn’t be stopped. Virginia Tech scored an additional seven runs and stretched its lead to 11–0 as Lynch hit a three-RBI homer to cap things off.
