Softball Swept in Opening Day Matchups Against Big 10 Foes Wisconsin, Indiana

Friday, February 6

Boca Raton, Fla.

11:15 a.m.

Army West Point

0-1

Wisconsin

2-0

Army

Wisconsin

Photo by: Carrie Johnston

Softball Swept in Opening Day Matchups Against Big 10 Foes Wisconsin, Indiana

February 06, 2026 | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

BOCA RATON, Fla. — Army West Point softball (0-2) opened the 2026 season on Friday at the FAU Paradise Classic, ultimately being swept by two Big 10 teams. First, the Army team suffered a five-inning loss to the University of Wisconsin Badgers (2-0), 0-9, and then fell to the University of Indiana Hoosiers (1-1), 2-8.

Taylor Brown led the hitting efforts for Army during day one at the FAU Softball Stadium, hitting .250 while earning one double, one run and one walk for a .400 on-base percentage. Ashton White was the other Black Knight to score a run across the plate, also earning a single.

Three sophomores, Breanna Coonfare, Sam Rodgers and Hannah Laub, also added hits for the Black Knights, with Laub also adding a double alongside Brown. Despite earning no hits, Annie Christiana remained active on the base paths, drawing a team-high two walks on the day.

Katelyn Flanders and Breanna Izzo led the Black Knights in pitching with two strikeouts each, while Amanda Eaglin and Ashlyn Wright each added one strikeout. The pitching staff combined for allowing 18 hits and 17 runs, 13 of them being earned. Katelyn Flanders and Amanda Eaglin each took the loss for Army.

GAME 1

At the top of the inning, the Black Knights made contact, but were forced into three consecutive putouts to send the game into the bottom of the first.

Meanwhile, the Badgers were connected offensively, scoring four runs off four hits off Flanders. The damage was minimized with Ashton White and Sam Rodgers connecting on a relay to get a batter out at home, but at the end of the inning, Army trailed 0-4.

Army got its only action on the base paths in the top of the second inning with two batters reaching base. After two strikeouts, Breanna Coonfare got Army's first hit of 2026 with a single to right field. Then directly afterwards, Sam Rodgers got her first hit of the season, singling to third base. Ultimately, the two were left on base, with Sammantha Sims striking out for the third out in the top of the second.

Katelyn Flanders found her rhythm in the bottom of the second, forcing Wisconsin to go three and out, forcing two fly outs and her first strikeout of the season. This kept the score locked at a 0-4 deficit for Army.

In the third inning, Taylor Brown was the only Black Knight to reach base, drawing a walk, but was ultimately left stranded. Flanders started the inning hot, earning her second strikeout swinging. Yet the Badgers' offense came storming back in the bottom of the third, earning two runs off two hits and one error to make it a 0-6 Army deficit.

The Black Knights went three and out with two groundouts and a strikeout. In the bottom of the fourth inning, Breanna Izzo came in as relief for Flanders. Wisconsin's bats stayed hot, earning three runs off three hits, including a two-run home run to make it a 0-9 game. After the home run, Izzo only allowed a walk as the Black Knights forced three more putouts to send the game to the top of the fifth.

Army continued to struggle to get their offense going in the top of the fifth, facing a pop up and two strikeouts in back to back to back hitters, ultimately ending the game as a 0-9 loss for Army.

GAME 2

The Black Knights opened the game with Annie Christiana drawing a walk, the first time she would reach base. Taylor Brown would go on to ground out to the Indiana shortstop, who converted the double play. Ashton White would hit a hard ball at the shortstop to force an error and get on, but a groundout cut the inning short for Army.

Amanda Eaglin would get the start for Army, allowing a single to left field at her first at bat. The Black Knights and the defense got to work the rest of the inning, not allowing the run to score, and Eaglin added her first strikeout to close the inning forcing the Hoosiers to leave one stranded on base.

In the second inning, Army went three and out, with Breanna Coonfare, Emma Murchison and Maisi Sigler each grounding out. On the other side if the inning, the Hoosiers got their first run on the board, ultimately converting an error into a run to make it a 0-1 game.

Army went three and out for the second straight inning in the top of the third. Indiana then did major damage in the bottom of the third, earning four runs off four hits, a single, a triple and back-to-back home runs. Freshman Ashlyn Wright then came into the game as relief to pitch in her first collegiate appearance. Wright and the defense got to work, fighting off the Hoosiers, sending the game into the fourth inning trailing 0-5.

The Black Knights got to work in the top of the fourth inning, with Taylor Brown hitting a lead-off double, then Ashton White followed directly behind her with a single. Then on back-to-back wild pitches from Indiana, the Black Knights were able to scratch across their first two runs of the season to make it a 2-5 game.

At the start of the bottom of the fourth, the Hoosiers led it off with a single. Ashlyn Wright came back to earn the first strikeout of her career, but then allowed a walk. The next at bat, the Hoosiers hit a single, bringing in a runner, then scored another on a wild pitch to make it a 2-7 Army deficit.

The Hoosiers then forced another walk, and Breanna Izzo entered the game for her second appearance of the day. With two in scoring position, Breanna Izzo forced a strikeout, then the Black Knights got a runner out on a throw from Maisi Sigler to end the inning and get out of the jam.

Annie Christiana was the only Black Knight to get on base, forcing her second walk of the day, but was left stranded to end the top of the fifth inning. Breanna Izzo continued pitching, opening the bottom with a strikeout. Then, the Hoosiers added a single followed by an RBI double to make it a 2-8 game in Indiana's favor. The Black Knights forced two putouts to end the inning.

The Black Knights went three and out for the third time in the game, with Ashton White and Caitlin Newburn striking out and Breanna Coonfare popping up to first base. The Hoosiers drew two walks. Then, the Black Knights earned their first double play of the season, with Ashton White earning a putout unassisted at third base before throwing the ball across the field to first base to make the play. After allowing one more walk, the next batter grounded out to second base, allowing Army to leave the bottom of the sixth unscathed.

Emma Murchison led off the top of the seventh with a walk, then Maisi Sigler reached base on a fielder's choice, with Indiana forcing Murchison out on second. Mia Bonsignore struck out at the next at-bat, forcing Army into its final out. Hannah Laub came in to pinch hit, hitting a double to force two Army batters into scoring position. At the next at bat, Annie Christiana grounded out to the shortstop, cutting Army's rally short and ending the game at a 2-8 loss for the Black Knights.

ON DECK

Up next, the Black Knights play in day two of the FAU Paradise Classic, taking on the University of Delaware Blue Hens and the No. 25-ranked team in the country, the Ohio State Buckeyes.

Army gets started early on Saturday, with the first pitch against Delaware set for 9 a.m. ET, with the Ohio State game slated for a 3:45 p.m. ET first pitch. Both games will stream live on FloCollege.

FOLLOW ALONG

For complete coverage of Army West Point softball, follow the Black Knights on X and Instagram at @ArmyWP_Softball and online at www.goarmywestpoint.com.