Army Concludes Series at Colgate with a Split

HAMILTON – Army West Point softball (17-20, 3-3) concluded its series against Colgate University Raiders (19-17, 7-2) on Saturday, splitting a doubleheader that spanned a total of 19 innings, first seeing a 3-4 loss in ten innings, then earning a 10-8 win in nine innings.

In game one, Army jumped out early and battled deep into extra innings, but ultimately fell 4–3 to Colgate in a hard-fought contest that featured strong pitching from Katelyn Flanders, who finished the day with a career-high 13 strikeouts in 10 innings and 187 pitches thrown.

Army showcased resilience and late-game power in game two, earning a 10–8 comeback win over Colgate, powered by clutch hitting and a gritty performance in the circle from Amanda Eaglin, who also had a career-day, seeing a career-best 12 strikeouts in nine innings and 200 pitches thrown.

Breanna Coonfare and Hannah Laub finished the day with three hits, each of them adding a home run. Coonfare led the way with RBIs, finished the two games with four, while Laub added two while also having a team-best three runs.

Sienna Tepley also added three hits with a team-high .475 batting average. Two other Black Knights also added three hits, Ashton White and Mia Bonsignore, with White adding two RBIs and Bonsignore adding one.

Three Black Knights added two hits: Taylor Brown, Caitlyn Newburn and Emma Murchison. Micaela Garcia and Tayten Moore also added a hit apiece in the 19 innings of action.

Game 1
Army wasted no time getting on the board in the first. After Sienna Tepley was hit by a pitch and advanced on a sacrifice bunt by Taylor Brown, Ashton White delivered an RBI single up the middle, giving Army a 1–0 lead.

In the circle, Army set the tone immediately, as Katelyn Flanders recorded three strikeouts in the opening inning, overpowering Colgate’s lineup and preserving the early advantage.

Flanders continued to dominate through the second, working around traffic with composure. After allowing a double and a hit-by-pitch, she punched out another hitter to escape the inning, stranding three runners and keeping Colgate scoreless.

Flanders added to her strikeout total again in the third, helping limit damage to just one run as Colgate tied the game at 1–1 on a sacrifice fly despite not recording a hit in the inning.

Army responded in the fourth with one of its biggest moments of the game. Hannah Laub crushed a solo home run to left center, reclaiming the lead at 2–1. The Black Knights continued to apply pressure with a single from Emma Murchison, but were unable to extend the inning further.

Colgate answered in the bottom half, capitalizing on defensive miscues to tie the game at 2–2, but Flanders again stepped up in key moments. She recorded another strikeout to end the inning, preventing further damage despite multiple baserunners.

From there, the game turned into a pitcher’s duel. Flanders remained steady, mixing pitches effectively and adding multiple strikeouts across the middle innings, including back-to-back strikeouts in the fifth to strand runners.

Flanders also worked a clean sixth and navigated late pressure in the seventh, recording a crucial strikeout with the bases loaded to keep the game tied.

Army had opportunities late, including advancing runners into scoring position in the seventh and eighth, but couldn’t break through until extra innings.

In the tenth, the Black Knights executed under pressure. Laub doubled to left field, and two batters later, Mia Bonsignore delivered a clutch RBI single down the right-field line, giving Army a 3–2 lead.

However, Colgate responded in the bottom of the inning with a two-run walk-off home run, ending the game in dramatic fashion.

Game 2
Army had limited opportunities early, but Amanda Eaglin kept the game within reach from the start. In the first inning, she worked around a two-out single and recorded a strikeout to end the frame, setting the tone.

Eaglin followed with a dominant second inning, striking out two batters, and continued to attack the zone despite traffic in the third, where Colgate pushed across two runs without recording a hit. Even in that inning, Eaglin battled through multiple baserunners and limited further damage.

Trailing 2–0, Army answered in the fourth. After back-to-back walks from Hannah Laub and Emma Murchison, Breanna Coonfare delivered an RBI single, cutting the deficit to 2–1.

Eaglin responded with another strong inning in the circle, highlighted by a strikeout and quick outs to keep it a one-run game.

Army broke through in the fifth, capitalizing on defensive miscues. Sienna Tepley reached and Ashton White followed, setting up Laub’s clutch RBI single, which plated two runs (both unearned) and gave Army a 3–2 lead.

Eaglin continued to compete, working through the fifth with another key strikeout, but Colgate answered with a two-run homer to retake the lead at 4–3.

Despite the setback, Eaglin stayed composed. She limited further damage in the sixth and came back strong in the eighth, delivering a shutdown inning with two strikeouts, keeping Army within striking distance at 5–3 after an unearned Colgate run.

Army’s offense came alive late. In the seventh, Tayten Moore doubled and Ashton White drove her in with an RBI double, before Army tied the game at 5–5 on a passed ball and Annie Christiana taking advantage through base running. Eaglin and the defense then delivered a clean seventh to force extra innings.

After a scoreless eighth, Army erupted in the ninth. With runners on, Emma Murchison delivered a clutch RBI single, and moments later, Breanna Coonfare crushed a three-run home run to left field, breaking the game open and giving Army a commanding 10–5 lead.

Colgate made a late push with a three-run homer in the bottom half, but Army closed it out. Fittingly, the game ended with Eaglin recording another strikeout, sealing the victory.