Black Knights Sweep Twin Bill at Lafayette

Saturday, April 8

Easton, Pa.

12:05 PM

Army West Point

25-11, 5-2

Lafayette

4-14, 1-6

Army West Point

Lafayette

Black Knights Sweep Twin Bill at Lafayette

April 08, 2017 | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

EASTON, Pa. – The Army West Point softball team opened its first road series in the Patriot League by sweeping Lafayette, 6-2 and 8-7, Saturday at Metzgar Fields.

The Black Knights improved to 26-11 overall and 6-2 in league play, while the Leopards fell to 4-15 on the year and 1-7 in the Patriot League.

Army spotted Lafayette a 2-0 advantage in the third inning of game one on a two-run single by Maddie Wensel in what turned out to be the Leopards only hit of the series opener. The Black Knights cut the deficit to one on a Kennedy Harrison double that scored Emily Gray in the fourth before a five-run, five-hit fifth inning vaulted Army into the lead. Army scored on five straight plays and took advantage of three errors by Lafayette in the inning as the visitors sent 10 batters to bat in the frame.

In the circle, Renee Poirier provided the Black Knights with another solid outing, tossing a complete game while only allowing a hit and two walks.

In game two, the Leopards got out to another two-run lead in the third stanza before the Cadets poured on a six-run inning that was capped with Emily Ballesteros's second long ball of the week. Lafayette tied the game with four runs of its own in the bottom of the inning as both sides batted around in the fourth.

Sam Hartman put the Black Knights back on top with an RBI single in the fifth inning before Ballesteros contributed an RBI double the following inning. That insurance run in the sixth would prove to be pivotal for Army, as Lafayette was able to push across one in the bottom of the seventh.

ARMY HIGHLIGHTS AND GAME NOTES

Army improved to 69-17 in the all-time series against Lafayette.
Lacey Swafford documented a pair of multi-hit games, including the second four-hit game of the year for the Black Knights.
Swafford has now recorded two or more hits in three straight games and is on a 10-game hitting streak.
Emily Ballesteros becomes the first player on the team with multiple home runs this season.
Renee Poirier tossed her third complete game this season where she allowed one hit or fewer in the 20th win of her career.
Poirier took over as the team's ERA leader at 2.10, surpassing Caroline Smith's mark of 2.12.

LINEUP BREAKDOWN
GAME ONE
Yoo (CF): 1-for-4 with a run scored
Swafford (LF): 2-for-3 with a double and a run scored
Ballesteros (3B): 1-for-4 with a run scored
Ontiveros (DP): 2-for-4 with an RBI

Hoover (PR): One run scored

Gray (1B): 1-for-4 with a double, two runs scored and an RBI
Harrison (RF): 1-for-3 with a walk, double and an RBI
Rashenskas (2B): 1-for-3 with an RBI
Kim (C): 0-for-3
Esparza-Gallegos (SS): 1-for-3

Poirier (P): 7.0 innings, one run, two runs (0 earned), two walks and six strikeouts

GAME TWO
Yoo (CF): 1-for-5 with a run scored
Swafford (LF): 4-for-4 with a double, two runs scored and two RBI
Ballesteros (3B): 2-for-4 with a double, home run, two runs scored and two RBI
Ontiveros (C): 1-for-3 with a walk and a double
Gray (1B): 1-for-4 with a double and a run scored
Harrison (RF): 1-for-4 with a double and a run scored
Rashenskas (2B): 2-for-3 with a walk, double and an RBI
Hartman (DP): 1-for-4 with a run scored, an RBI and a stolen base
Esparza-Gallegos (SS): 0-for-3 with a walk and a run scored

Newbary (P): 3.1 innings, seven hits, six runs (five earned), three walks and one strikeout
West (P): 3.2 innings, two hits, one run (earned), two walks and one strikeout

FACTS & FIGURES

In game one, Army scored six runs on 10 hits and committed one error, while the Leopards scored two runs on one hit and had three errors defensively.
In game two, the Black Knights notched eight runs on 13 hits and one error, while Lafayette plated seven runs on nine hits and did not commit an error.

UP NEXT