Bulldogs Fall To Boston University In Second Game Of Day

RIVERSIDE, Calif. – It didn't take the Yale softball team long to get into the swing of things in California. The Bulldogs scored twice in their first at bat in the Golden State and went on to a 5-3 victory over Southern Utah at the Mizuno Classic at UC Riverside in their first game of the day

Yale also started strong in its second game against Boston University, scoring three times in the second inning, but the Terriers rallied to earn a 7-3 win.

The opener against Southern Utah was tied at 3-3 entering the bottom of the sixth when the Bulldogs scored twice. Allison Skinner led off with a single. Rachel Paris then sacrificed pinch runner Allie Souza to second, and Laina Do followed with an RBI double to right field. Madison Sack plated the second run with a single up the middle.

Do had two hits and scored two runs to lead the Yale attack. Skinner and freshman Shelby Kennedy also had two hits.

Yale scored twice in the first inning and once in the second to grab the early lead. Kennedy started it in the first with a bunt single and then scored on an error. Brittany Labbadia followed with a single. She stole second, advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on Lauren Delgadillo's sacrifice fly.

In the second, Labbadia drew a bases loaded walk to force home a run.

It looked like that would be enough for Yale pitcher Francesca Casalino, who cruised through the first three innings.

In the fourth, though, Megan Reed belted a three-run home run to tie the score.

Casalino settled down after that, retiring the final six hitters she faced to earn her second win of the season. She yielded five hits and struck out five.

Do also had two hits in the second game against BU.

Yale (2-5) jumped on top with three runs in the second. Three walks started the rally before Sydney Ginsberg delivered an RBI single. An error in the outfield allowed a second run to score, and Labbadia drove home the third run with an infield single.

BU, though, scored twice in the third, three times in the fourth and added two runs in the fifth.

The Terriers are 6-11 on the second.

Ginsberg had two hits for the Bulldogs.

Lindsay Efflandt started in the circle and allowed four earned runs.

"I was really happy with how we came out in the first game. Defensively we were sharp, the pitching was effective, and we had some timely hits," said Yale head coach Jen Goodwin. "In the second game, we came out with the bats on fire, but our bats went silent later in key moments. We let them in the game with some defensive mistakes, and that ended up being the difference in the game. Tomorrow is a new day so I'm looking forward to seeing how we respond."

The Bulldogs will play a doubleheader against UC Riverside on Sunday starting at 11 a.m. PDT.

Report filed by Tim Bennett (timothy.bennett@yale.edu), Yale Sports Publicity