Albany, N.Y.- Freshman center fielder Vicky McFarland launched the game-winning three-run homer in the bottom of the seventh to defeat Boston U., 6-4, on Sunday, April 15 at Albany Field. UAlbany avoided the weekend series sweep and improved to 9-3 in the conference while Boston U. falls to 8-3 in the conference and half game behind UAlbany for second.
UAlbany (26-10, 9-3 AE) started off game three like game two on Saturday with an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning. Charlise Castro led the inning off with a single down the left side then Katie Wambold followed with rbi double to right center to drive in the game's first run.
Boston U. (24-13, 8-3 AE) responded back with four runs, one in the third and three in the fourth, to force the Great Dane pitcher Brittany MacFawn out of the game for the second time in the series. A sacrifice fly from the Terrier's right fielder Jayme Mask drove in pinch-runner Alyssa Barsanti in the third to tie the game at one.
Then in the fourth inning, Boston U. would grab its first lead of the game by scoring three to go up 4-1. Shortstop Brittany Clendenny would smack a two-run homer to right to begin the top half of the inning then teammate Melanie Delgado would drive in the third run of the inning with an rbi single down the left side.
UAlbany pitcher Brittany Schwieger (11-3) came into relief in the top of the fifth for MacFawn and throw three scoreless innings to sustain Boston U.'s three-run lead to the bottom of the seventh inning.
The Great Danes' Wambold began the seventh inning rally with a lead-off homerun to left to cut the deficit to two, 4-2. BU's starting pitcher Whitney Tuthill would get Kylie Apostolina to ground out to third but then give up two consecutive doubles, one was an rbi-double from Lauren Alcorn to cut the lead to one, 4-3, in which the Terrier's head coach Shawn Rychick to bring in relief pitcher Erin Schuppert.
With Alcorn on second, Jess Tate would drive a single to center to push Alcorn to third and Tate would advance to second to give UAlbany runners on second and third and down by one, 4-3. UAlbany would pinch run both Alcorn and Tate with Emily Ostrom and Mel Herndon before McFarland stepped to the plate.
On the first pitch of McFarland's at-bat, she took one hard swing and sent the ball flying 10-feet over the center field wall for a Great Danes' walkoff win over Boston U. to stay in second place in the America East Conference standings.
UAlbany will continue its 2012 schedule in a non-conference doubleheader against Dartmouth on Wednesday, April 18 at Albany Field (3 pm).
