Army Softball Bounces Back at Maryland Tournament

COLLEGE PARK, MD. – Army West Point Softball (7-17) battled on the second day of the tournament dropping the first game to North Dakota State (18-12) in extra innings, but rallied in the afternoon to take down Maryland (11-14) 8-7.

Game 1
NDSU got on the board first scoring three runs off four hits to lead 3-0 over Army at the end of the first inning. Army rallied the bats in the top off the first with a leadoff home run by Leila Hurst to cut the Bison’s lead to 3-1.

Jolie Duong was in the circle for Army and helped keep NDSU off the board through the next two innings. The Bison plated one run in the bottom of the fourth to take a 4-1 lead over the Black Knights. Madi Gilmore was quick to answer firing off a solo home run in the top of the fifth to make the score 4-2.

The teams remained scoreless through the sixth, as Olivia Farris (0-11) entered the circle and kept the Bison off the board. In the top of the seventh tie things up with the Bison.

Angelina Bebek entered the game as a pinch hitter and drew a walk. Kayla Edwards reached first on an error and Bebek sprinted her way to third. Maddie Wilkes hit a sacrifice fly out to center field to bring in Bebek. Hurst stepped up to the plate with the tying run on base and fired off a double to left field. Army finished the frame with two runs off one hit and an error to tie the game at 4-4.

Army sent the game into extra innings after keeping NDSU off the board in the bottom of the seventh. The teams were scoreless in the eight. Army took its first lead of the game in the top of the ninth off an RBI single by Edwards. NDSU answered in the bottom of the ninth with two runs off one hit and an error to win 6-5 over the Black Knights.

Game 2
Army fell behind early to Maryland but rallied in fourth inning to complete a 8-7 comeback win.

Maryland got on the board first in the bottom of the second scoring one run off three hits.

Army had trouble matching Maryland’s offense early in the game, going scoreless for the first three innings. In the bottom of the third Maryland added on five more runs to lead 6-0 over Army.

Gilmore got the bats going in the top of the fourth with leadoff solo home run to get the Black Knights on the board. With two outs on the board, Brook Mitchell drew a walk. Bebek and Edwards kept the momentum going by each recording a double. Edwards brought in a runner making the score 6-2. Army fired off six base hits to bring in six runs, taking the 8-6 lead over Maryland. Gilmore finished the frame going 2-for-2 at the plate.

Maryland plated one more run in the bottom of the fourth, but Army kept the team off the score board to secure the 8-7 win.