Army Softball Stretches Win Streak to Nine Games

WEST POINT — Army West Point Softball (21-12, 6-0) earned its ninth straight win on Saturday, dominating the Bucknell Bison (9-19, 0-6), 8-1.

With the win, the Black Knights sweep the season series with Bucknell. The series win also marks the second straight Patriot League play series sweep the Army had earned this season, sweeping the Lehigh Mountain Hawks last series in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania.

The Black Knights scored in the third, fourth and fifth, with four runs coming in the fifth inning to lift Army to the victory.

Caitlyn Newburn and Ashton White lead the Black Knights’ hitting efforts. Newburn finished the game with three hits on four at-bats, with two singles and a double alongside one RBI. Ashton White finished the game with one hit on two at-bats while drawing two walks. Her lone hit was a solo home run in the fifth inning.

Emma Murchison, Breanna Coonfare and Maaika Dones would each add two hits each.

Amanda Eaglin and Breanna Izzo split the pitching duties for the Black Knights.

Amanda Eaglin received the start and pitched 3.1 innings, only allowing one hit, one earned run and one walk. Breanna Izzo came in as relief and pitched 3.2 innings, allowing no hits and no walks, alongside adding three strikeouts.

Both teams did not see much action on the base pads in the first inning. The Bison went three-and-out, while Army tallied one hit through a single from Emma Murchison.

The Bison were able to draw a walk off of Amanda Eaglin in the top of the second, but a strikeout and two groundouts retired Bucknell. Meanwhile, the Black Knights went three and out.

In the top of the third, the Army defense took care of business, only allowing a Bison on base through a hit-by-pitch. The bottom of the third was when the Black Knights made their first move.

It started when Maaika Dones singled to the shortstop, then she advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt from Sienna Tepley and to third through a fielder’s choice drawn from Leila Hurst. Emma Murchison would get her second hit of the day, sending Dones home for Army’s first run of the game.

Ashton White drew a walk, advancing Murchison to second. Sam Bicis then came in to pitch run and stole third. Then during the next at-bat, Caitlyn Newburn added her first hit of the day with a single up the middle, sending Bocis home and giving Army a 2-0 lead.

Bucknell would score their lone run in the top of the fourth inning. The Bison hit a one-out double, then Breanna Izzo would take over duties for Eaglin. Two batters later, Bucknell earned an RBI single, making it only a 2-1 lead for Army.

Army would respond and double their run total in the bottom of the fourth, making it a 4-1 game.

It started with Breanna Coonfare hitting a single, then Maaika Dones getting on base for the second time through an error by the catcher. Leila Hurst would then double to center field, bringing in both Coonfare and Dones.

Bucknell went three-and-out again in the top of the fifth, featuring Breanna Izzo earning two strikeouts swinging. Then, the Black Knights took over in the bottom of the fifth.

The takeover started immediately, with Ashton White hitting a lead-off solo home run to make it a 5-1 game. Caitlyn Newburn then doubled to right field, with Tayten Moore coming in to pitch run for the designated player. Taylor Brown then added a single, sending Moore to third.

At the next bat, Maisi Sigler flew out to deep left field, allowing Moore to go home to earn the sacrifice fly. Breanna Coonfare then stepped up to the plate, singling to right center to allow Taylor Brown to reach third. Coonfare would then steal a base to advance to second.

Maaika Dones would add another single, sending Taylor Brown home and advancing Breanna Coonfare to third. Then, Sienna Tepley added the second sacrifice fly of the inning to allow Coonfare to earn a run and for Army to take an 8-1 lead.

By the time the fifth inning was completed, the Black Knights totaled four runs on five hits, only leaving one left on base.

In the sixth, the Bison earned another hit but ultimately left a runner stranded, coming out of the inning empty-handed.

Army was able to get three on base in the bottom of the sixth, with Ashton White drawing a walk, Caitlyn Newburn adding her second single of the day and Maisi Sigler drawing a walk, but all three were left on base, sending the game to the final frame.

In the final inning, the Bison were able to load the base pads through two errors by the Army defense and a single. But when the chips were down, Breanna Izzo forced a strikeout and Leila Hurst earned a putout unassisted to help complete the sweep.