The softball team’s struggles to put runs on the board continued this weekend in its doubleheader at Army on Saturday.

Army (12–8) collected a combined 16 hits to propel past the Bulldogs (6–8), winning the first game 12–0 and the nightcap 6–1. Though the Elis (6–8) were able to put runners in scoring position throughout the two games, they struggled to capitalize on scoring opportunities. Yale has now dropped six consecutive games and has scored only five runs during that stretch.

In their first game against the Black Knights, the Elis could muster only two hits against them: singles by right fielder Jennifer Ong ’13 and second baseman Katie Yanagisawa ’11.

The Bulldogs had an early scoring chance in the first inning when they had two runners on base with two outs after Ong opened the inning with a single and first baseman Mariclaire Rebman ‘11 walked. But Army pitcher Shawna Bleyl retired the next batter to leave the two runners stranded.

“We just weren’t really getting the bat on the ball,” left fielder Chelsey Locarno ’12 said. “We had a couple good hits here and there, but to be successful we just need to string them together and get our runners in.”

The Black Knights got on the board in the second when they loaded the bases with one out. April Ortenzo knocked in two runs with an RBI single, and Alex Reynolds added one more with an RBI ground out to give Army an early 3–0 lead.

Army broke the game open with a six-run third inning. The Black Knights scored two runs off back-to-back RBI doubles and got another after Ortenzo walked with the bases loaded. Reynolds then reached on a fielder’s choice to bring in a runner from third and extend the Black Knights’ lead to 7–0. Army got two more runs off an RBI double from Alexis AuBuchon.

The Black Knights also added three runs in the fourth.

Army kept its offense rolling in the second game and used two home runs to lift it to a 6–1 win over the Elis. Army pitcher Hayley Pypes threw a complete game, allowing just one run on five hits with four strikeouts.

Pitcher Chelsey Dunham ’14 went six innings for the Bulldogs, giving up three earned runs on eight hits with two strikeouts and three walks.

In the second game, Army opened up an early 1–0 lead in the first after Amanda Nguyen scored from third on an RBI single from Reynolds.

Still, the Bulldogs tied the game in the second frame. Rebman led off the stanza with a double and advanced to third on a ground out by shortstop Meg Johnson ’12. Rebman scored on a sacrifice fly from captain and catcher McKynlee Westman ’11.

The Black Knights regained the lead in the following inning when Ortenzo hit a three-run homer to give Army a 4–1 lead. Army’s final two runs also came off the long ball after Pypes went deep in the third.

The Bulldogs had a chance to chip away at the Black Knights’ lead in the fourth after Rebman and Westman both walked and third baseman Liz Tutino ‘13 singled to load the bases, but Pypes struck out the next batter to leave all three runners stranded. The Elis loaded the bases again in the fifth with no outs, but Pypes retired the next three batters to escape the inning unscathed.

“What’s really tough for us is that we keep leaving runners on base,” Locarno said. “But I think we’re still feeling pretty positive because our hits will fall and our coach said she thinks they’re just all going to come in one game, so it’s going to be really tough for whoever we’re playing. I think everyone pretty much knows that it’ll happen.”

The Bulldogs are off until Wednesday, when they host Fairfield in a doubleheader. The first game is scheduled to begin at 2:30 p.m. at Dewitt Family Field.