Boston College Athletics
Softball Beats Maryland to Continue ACC Championship Pursuit
May 08, 2008 | Softball
May 8, 2008
College Park, Md. - The sixth-seeded Boston College softball team (32-31) played in its fourth match-up in five days with the seventh-seeded Maryland Terrapins (36-23) putting together a crucial four-run inning to stay alive in the first day of the ACC tournament, winning by the score of 7-3.
Sophomore Taylor Peyton made her 23rd start of the season in the second game of the day, earning a no decision. She faced a total 14 batters in three innings pitched, allowing three runs on three hits and tallying one strikeout, her 99th this season. Freshman Allison Gage (19-19) took over pitching duties in the top of the fourth inning for the Eagles to earn the win. In three innings pitched she faced 15 batters, allowing just one hit and striking out one for her 75th strikeout of the season.
Maryland loaded the bases in the top of the third inning and scored three times, one on a sacrifice fly and the other runs on a double by catcher Brittany Bessho. BC then loaded the bases in the bottom half of the third inning. Senior Amanda Booth led off the inning with the walk and advanced to second on a fielder's choice, hit safely by freshman Carolyn Jones. Senior Carley McNary then loaded the bases on a bunt single. Sophomore Dani Weir then hit a hard ball to the Maryland shortstop, who let it go through her legs, allowing Booth, Jones and McNary to score and tie the game at three runs apiece.
The Eagles put together a four-run rally in the bottom of the fourth inning to earn a 7-3 lead. Peyton led off with her 50th hit of the season. Freshman Irene Delagrammaticas then bunted her over to put a runner in scoring position. Booth then hit a triple over the right-fielder's head to score Peyton for the first run. Her triple was the second on the day as she picked up her 14th RBI of the season. Jones reached on a fielder's choice, picking up her second RBI of the season, scoring Booth. Sophomore Amy Tunstall finished the BC rally with her fifth homerun of the season, a two-run shot that scored Jones for the final runs of the inning.
Delagrammaticas notched her third hit of the day in the bottom of the fifth inning and Tunstall tallied her second hit of the game in the sixth inning, but no runs were scored in the innings. Gage pitched a three-up, three-down top of the seventh inning to secure the win and advancement for BC.
BC will continue its ACC Championship pursuit tomorrow evening against the loser of the North Carolina and NC State match-up. The game is slated to begin at 8 p.m. at Robert E Taylor Stadium.
