Softball Sweeps Crusaders, Poirier Pitches Shutout

Saturday, April 23

Worcester, MA

12 PM

Army West Point

28-16, 0

Holy Cross

7-28, 0

Army

Holy Cross

Softball Sweeps Crusaders, Poirier Pitches Shutout

April 23, 2016 | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

WORCESTER, Mass. – The Army West Point softball team continued its winning streak to four with two wins over Patriot League foe Holy Cross on Saturday afternoon. The Black Knights defeated the Crusaders by scores of 7-1 and 4-0 to improve to 29-16 on the season and 9-4 in the conference.

Renee Poirier pitched her second shutout of the season in today's second game. She allowed three hits through seven innings of play and added one strikeout.

Game two remained scoreless until the top of the fourth when Army put three runs on the board. Gladys Esparza-Gallegos was hit by a pitch then Tyler McKinney stepped in as the pinch runner. Caroline Smith doubled to left center sending McKinney home on the next play for Army's first run.

Kristen McPeek then singled up the middle for an RBI before Kasey McCravey had an RBI infield single to increase Army's lead to 3-0. The Black Knights added a security run in the top of the sixth fueled by an RBI single to the left side by Ashely Yoo.

Holy Cross nearly had a comeback in the home half of the seventh, but the Army defense held the Crusaders scoreless to secure the shutout.

In the first game, Army jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the first inning as Emily Gray singled up the Middle to send McCravey home. Then in the top of the third, the Black Knights exploded to tally five more runs off four hits and a wild pitch.

McCravey's double down the left field line sparked the five-run inning as Mae Wadyka crossed the Plate. Alee Rashenskas then singled to the catcher which advanced McCravey home. Smith notched an RBI single to right field allowing Rashenskas to score before McPeek doubled to right field for an RBI and then scored herself on a wild pitch.

Army recorded one more run in the top of the sixth off an error by the Crusaders. Holy Cross attempted a comeback in the home half of the sixth, but the Black Knights only allowed one run by them to finalize the score at 7-1.

Smith earned the win in game one to improve to 10-9 with a strikeout before Aja Brechtel stepped to the rubber for an inning.

Sunday's solo game will be played at 12 p.m. from Freshman Field.

For up-to-date information about Army softball, please follow @ArmyWP_Softball on Twitter and Instagram.