Army Completes Sweep of Bucknell on Senior Day

Sunday, April 23

West Point, N.Y.

12 PM

Army West Point

31-16, 10-5

Bucknell

23-15, 6-6

Bucknell

Army West Point

Army Completes Sweep of Bucknell on Senior Day

April 23, 2017 | Softball

Box Score

WEST POINT, N.Y. – The Army West Point softball team completed its sweep of the Bucknell Bison with a 6-0 victory Sunday on senior day at the Army Softball Complex.

The Black Knights improved to 31-16 on the season and 10-5 in the Patriot League, while the Bison fell to 23-15 overall and 6-6 in league play.

Prior to today's series finale, Army honored seniors Alee Rashenskas, Tyler McKinney, Michaela Hoover, Caroline Smith and Kristen West, as well as sophomore transfer Kennedy Harrison.

ARMY HIGHLIGHTS AND GAME NOTES

Army improves to 57-35 all-time against Bucknell.
The Black Knights allowed just one run against the Bison, marking the fewest runs Army has given up in a Patriot League series since allowing one run against Colgate in 2014.
Caroline Smith recorded her 10th win of the season, reaching double-digit victories in all four seasons at West Point.
Kennedy Harrison extended her hitting streak to a team-best six games.
Michaela Hoover earned the first start of her career and made a spectacular diving catch in left field to prevent extra bases in the first inning.
Kristen West recorded her fourth hit of the season, setting a new single season personal best.
Tyler McKinney appeared in her 176th career game in the Black and Gold, scoring a run in the sixth inning.
Alee Rashenskas documented her 215th career hit, needing four more to crack the top-five in Army history.
Rookie Katie Ontiveros smashed her team-leading third home run in the third inning.
Emily Ballesteros drove in her 30th RBI and slugged her 40th base hit of the year, becoming the fourth Black Knight with 40 or more hits in 2017.

LINEUP BREAKDOWN
Rashenskas (2B): 1-for-4 with an RBI
Hoover (LF): N/A

Swafford (PH/LF): 2-for-3 with a walk and a run scored

Harrison (SS): 1-for-4
Ballesteros (3B): 2-for-3 with an RBI

Wadyka (PR): One run scored

Gates (CF/RF): 0-for-1 with a hit by pitch
Yoo (RF): 1-for-3 with a double and an RBI

McKinney (PR/CF): One run scored

Trotter (DP): 0-for-2

West (PH/P): 1-for-1 with a run scored

Ontiveros (1B): 2-for-2 with a home run, two runs scored and two RBI
Kim (C): 0-for-3

Smith (P): 6.0 innings, two hits, 0 runs (earned), five walks and 0 strikeouts
West (P): 1.0 inning, 0 hits, runs (earned), 0 walks and 0 strikeouts

FACTS & FIGURES

The Black Knights scored six runs on 10 hits and were perfect defensively, while the Bison were held scoreless on two hits and no errors.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Senior Caroline Smith had her second solid outing against Bucknell in as many days, coming off a complete game one-hitter from the first game of Saturday's twin bill.
She was able to escape an early jam in the first inning after allowing a walk and a hit, and cruised through the next two innings with minimal concern.
Rookie Katie Ontiveros took a 2-1 pitch deep over the right field wall for the first run of the ballgame for Army before three straight hits from Lacey Swafford, Kennedy Harrison and Emily Ballesteros increased that lead to 2-0. Ballesteros singled up the middle, allowing Swafford to score from second.
The scoring continued in the following frame for the Cadets as senior Alee Rashenskas plated Ontiveros on a two-out single to stretch the advantage to three runs.
The Army offense was just getting warmed up at that point as it doubled its lead in the fifth to a 6-0 advantage.
Ballesteros singled to get the inning started before Ashley Yoo roped an RBI double to center that scored pinch runner Mae Wadyka.
Seniors Kristen West and Tyler McKinney entered the game next, with West pinch hitting and McKinney taking over for Yoo at second base. The move would pay off for the Black Knights as West singled through the right side to provide a first-and-third situation.
Both seniors would come around to score later in the inning as McKinney came home on a wild pitch and West scoring on a sacrifice fly by Ontiveros.
That would be all the insurance Smith would need as she worked around a pair of walks in the sixth before vacating the circle for West in the final inning. The Houston, Texas, native retired the Bison in order to complete the sweep for Army.