Black Knights Top Butler in Midweek Tilt

Wednesday, March 13

Clearwater, Fla.

1:30 PM

Army West Point

8-14

Butler

8-12

Army West Point

Butler

Black Knights Top Butler in Midweek Tilt

March 13, 2019 | Softball

Box Score

CLEARWATER, Fla. – The Army West Point softball team rebounded with an 8-3 victory over Butler at the Eddie C. Moore Complex on Wednesday.

The Black Knights improved to 8-14 on the season, while the Bulldogs dropped to 8-12.

Four Black Knights recorded multiple hits in the game, led by Bianca Gonzalez's three-hit effort. Taylor Drayton, Emily Ballesteros and Taylor Livingston also added two hits each. Ballesteros scored a team-high two runs, while Livingston drove in two. Army collected the victory with a balanced offense, with seven players scoring a run and driving one in.

In the circle, Macey Newbary, Jolie Duong and Renee Poirier stymied the Butler offense, scattering six hits in the afternoon. Newbary tossed the first three innings before Duong entered. The rookie from Houston, Texas allowed just one hit in 2.0 innings of work while fanning a pair of Bulldogs. Poirier returned to form to shut the door through the final two innings, giving up just one hit as well.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Butler captured an early lead for the second day in-a-row with a two-spot in the bottom of the first.
Gonzalez provided a response for the Black Knights the following inning when she cut the lead in half with an RBI single that plated Ballesteros.
Claire Gilland answered for the Bulldogs with a home run to left in the home half of the frame to put the advantage back at two runs, 3-1.
The Army bats came alive in the fourth inning as the visitors utilized eight hits to post a seven-run inning.
Drayton led off the inning with a single and stood on second with two outs when the rally began.
Ballesteros swung at the first pitch she saw in the inning and drove a single to right field to score the Clayton, N.C., native to once again cut the lead to one run.
After another Gonzalez hit, Madi Gilmore tied the game with an RBI double down the left field line.
Two pitches later, Livingston drove the ball deep to the opposite field for a two-RBI double to hand Army its first lead of the game at 5-3.
The Bulldogs made a pitching change following Livingston's at-bat, but it was a non-factor for the Black Knights as Duong ripped a single to left field to score Livingston.
Maddie Kim kept the rally alive by driving a 2-2 pitch to center for an RBI single before Drayton's second hit of the inning.
She belted a double off the fence in center field to plate Kim to cap the scoring for Army.
The five-run deficit was enough as the pitching and defense for the Black Knights navigated any offensive threats the Bulldogs posed throughout the remainder of the game.

ARMY HIGHLIGHTS AND GAME NOTES

Army recorded a season-high three doubles for the fourth time.
The Black Knights earned their second seven-run inning of the season in the fourth inning.
The other also came in the fourth inning against Jacksonville State on Feb. 9.
Army tied its season high with 13 hits in the game, originally set against Duke on Feb. 23.
Duong improved to a team-best 6-for-6 on stolen bases this season.
The rookie from Houston, Texas has reached base in each of the last 10 games.
She recorded her team-best fifth win of the season.
Kim extended her hitting streak to six games, the longest active streak on the team.
The Santa Clara, Calif., native tallied the 65th hit of her career.
Gonzalez posted her second three-hit game of the season and fourth multi-hit effort.
Drayton collected her third multi-hit game of the year and 13th of her career.
It is the first time she has recorded back-to-back multi-hit games since May 2-6 of last season against Hartford and Lafayette.
Ally Snelling contributed her Patriot League-leading seventh caught stealing of the season.
Ballesteros notched her third multi-hit game of the year and 24th in her career.
Madi Gilmore slapped her 10th hit of the year.
Livingston put together her second multi-hit game of the season and 10th of her career.
The Huntington Beach, Calif., native slugged her second-career double and first of the season.

UP NEXT

The Black Knights begin the USF-Michelle Smith Pediatric Cancer Spring Invitational on Friday when they will face Monmouth and North Florida at 1 p.m. and 3:30 p.m., respectively.