BC Turned Away By UMass

The Boston College softball team (20-19) lost a non-conference contest with Massachusetts (22-11), 5-1, despite an early pitchers’ duel. In the circle for the Eagles was junior Nicole D’Argento, who went six innings, giving up four runs on nine hits, and two walks to go with five strikeouts. Sara Plourde, who pitched a complete game with 16 strikeouts, led the Minutemen. She gave up one hit, one earned run, and seven walks in the victory.

The Eagles started the game’s scoring in the first inning when they worked Plourde for four walks. D’Argento was the first to take the free base. Second baseman Andrea Filler took a four-pitch walk, and then Brittany Wilkins followed with another four straight balls. Ali Lynette-Krech earned the game’s first RBI with a free pass of her own.

At the top of the third, UMass tied it up. Leadoff hitter Cyndil Matthew started the inning with a line drive to left, which gave her a team-leading 13 multi-hit games on the season. Matthew proceeded to steal second base, before Quianna Diaz-Patterson hit a single up the middle to bring her home.

From that point forward, the game continued to be a low-scoring pitching matchup. BC came close to taking the lead in the bottom of the third when Filler started the inning with a single to left for the Eagles’ first and only hit of the day. After Wilkins was hit by a pitch, the Eagles performed a double steal to put runners in scoring position. However, two strikeouts and a botched squeeze attempt killed the inning.

In the top of the sixth, UMass broke the game open. D’Argento started the inning with a strikeout—however, it erupted into a difficult inning for the junior. Third baseman CJ Chirichigno made a great diving stop on a sharp grounder from Plourde at the foul line, which appeared to be out of play. However, the umpire called it fair, giving the Minutemen a runner at first with one out. D’Argento followed the play with another strikeout, but then, Tiffany Meeks crushed a line drive dead center. The ball tipped off the top of Lynette-Krech’s glove and went to the wall. Mikayla Panko, who pinch-ran for Plourde, scored on the double.

The Minutemen did not stop there. Third baseman Teea Rogers drilled a line drive to the right-field wall, which scored Meeks from second. Pinch-hitter Lindsey Webster followed the two doubles with a single down the third-base line, which put UMass up 4-1.

At the plate, the Eagles looked unbalanced against Plourde’s overpowering fastball. BC was held hitless after the third inning, and left eight runners on base throughout the game.

In the seventh, Amanda Horowitz came in to pitch for D’Argento. She gave up a deep homerun to straight center off the batter of Plourde, making the score 5-1. The Eagles were unable to comeback in the last half of the frame.

The Eagles were out-hit 11 to one. Both teams struggled with runners on base, with eight runners left on for both teams. The Eagles were unable to make Plourde pay for her seven walks, while D’Argento was precise with only two free passes.