Army Completes Three-Game Sweep Of Holy Cross

WEST POINT – Army West Point softball (10-20, 3-0) completed a three-game series sweep of Holy Cross (5-19, 0-3) on Sunday, taking Game 1, 9-6 and Game 2 by a score of 8-0. Army has now begun Patriot League play 3-0.

Game 1: Interim Head Coach Jen Consal gave the ball to sophomore pitcher Olivia Farris, who was making her 11th start of the season. Things started off smoothly for Army as Farris worked a perfect 1-2-3 inning and then Army struck first on an RBI fielder’s choice by Kayla Edwards.

However, Farris and Army would run into trouble in the top of the second as Holy Cross would strike for six runs.

Holy Cross’ Peyton Morehouse hit a two-run single to right field to begin the scoring in the inning. The Crusaders would add to its lead on a fielder’s choice RBI bunt by Kari Jacobson. Army 2B Angelina Bebek committed an error on a ground ball which bought in another run. Struggling to end the inning, Consal turned to her bullpen by bringing in freshman Breanna Izzo.

Farris’ final line was 1.1 innings of work, four hits, and six runs with four of those earned runs.

Kayla Edwards added her second RBI of the game, hitting an RBI double in the bottom of the third to bring Army closer, 6-2. Army would strand runners on the corners to end the inning.

Trailing 6-2, the Army offense erupted for a five-run fifth inning to take the lead.

The Black Knights loaded the bases when Bebek singled up the middle, Taylor Brown reached on an error and Edwards singled to left. Army would plate two to cut the lead, 6-4 on a hard-hit ball by Ashton White to second base that bounced off the Holy Cross second baseman, which was ultimately ruled an error.

Following a Holy Cross pitching change, Army’s Maddie Wilkes blasted a 3-run home run to left center field to give Army a 7-6 lead.

In the bottom of the sixth, Army would add two insurance runs on a sac-fly by Bebek and an RBI single by Brown, to push the lead to 9-6.

Izzo was fantastic in her relief efforts, neutralizing the Crusaders’ bats, working 5.2 innings, and giving up no runs and only four hits. Izzo (4-1) picks up the win.

Brook Mitchell, Taylor Brown, and Kayla Edwards each had multi-hit games.

Game 2: Army completed the doubleheader sweep behind starter Amanda Eaglin, who was terrific. Eaglin (3-5) pitched a complete game (5.0 innings) shutout, yielding only two hits and striking out four.

Eaglin began the game by retiring the first 10 batters of the game.

Freshman Ashton White helped Army get out to an early 1-0 lead, hitting a sac-fly in the first inning.

Army’s bats then exploded for a seven-run second inning which was highlighted by White hitting a bases-clearing 3-run double, to break open the game to a 6-0 Army lead.

Maddie Wilkes, the hero from Game 1 would add to the Army lead, with an RBI single up to the middle to make it a 7-0 game.

Army would score again in the bottom of the fifth to make it an 8-0 lead and ultimately end the game early by virtue of a run rule.

Ashton White was 1-2 with a 2B and 4 RBIs. Grace Snyder went 3-3 with an R.