Junior Shayne Lotito is hitting .407 and leading the Terriers with 15 steals. Isabel Slepoy“We’re going to win a lot of games if we only give up one run.”
That’s what Boston University softball coach Shawn Rychcik said after sweeping St. Peter’s College, 3-1 and 6-1, in a doubleheader last Thursday. Well, the Terriers won three more games against the University of Vermont this weekend using that formula, outscoring the Catamounts at BU Softball Field by a combined score of 16-3 to open America East play.
“It’s always tough to get a three-game sweep,” Rychcik said. “It was important to get off to a good start in the conference. I’ve been in this conference for six years, and every year I think it gets better and deeper.”
After 7-1 and 2-0 wins Saturday, the Terriers (14-11, 3-0 AE) completed the sweep yesterday with a 7-2 victory over UVM (5-15, 0-3). BU was paced by its one-through-four hitters, who went a combined 9-for-13 with five runs and five RBI in the final game of the series.
Freshman centerfielder April Setterlund led the way yesterday, going 3-for-4 with an RBI and two runs out of the leadoff spot. Junior classmates Shayne Lotito, Christy Leath and Melissa Dubay each went 2-for-3 as the two, three and four hitters, respectively.
“April, Shayne and Christy are all great hitters,” Dubay said. “They know their role and they do what they need to do. If we’re looking for a base hit, they can get a hit. If we’re looking for a bunt, they can all lay the bunt down.”
The Catamounts got on the board first with a one-out solo homer from Kate Haber in the top of the first, but the Terriers answered in the bottom of the inning with back-to-back doubles from Setterlund and Lotito to tie it at one. Lotito scored four batters later on a sacrifice fly off the bat of junior third baseman Brooke Hudson.
UVM tied the score at two in the third on a throwing error by BU hurler Cassidi Hardy, who allowed three runs over 13 innings to pick up two wins in the series. Hardy shut down the Catamounts the rest of the way, and the Terrier offense took over. The right-hander improved to 7-4 and lowered her ERA to 2.56.
The Setterlund-Lotito duo came up big again in the fourth with back-to-back RBI doubles. BU put the game away in the sixth, when Lotito stole second and senior rightfielder Molly Gallagher scored on the throw. Leath plated Lotito with an RBI double before scoring on Dubay’s RBI triple.
Gallagher, a senior tri-captain who had not started in three games, reached base twice, stealing two bases and scoring two runs in the contest.
“Molly always seems to find a way to get on base at least once a game,” Rychcik said. “She has some speed, so we can run with her. Her job is to get on base, not to hit .300. It’s just to get on base and score runs, and that’s what she does.”
The Terriers took Saturday’s series opener handily. With BU leading 3-0 in the fifth, Lotito reached on a bunt single and reached second on her third stolen base of the game. The speedster had six steals in six attempts this weekend, improving her season total to 15 in 16 tries.
“I would attribute [my steals] to our lift trainer because he’s been working on speed with us,” Lotito said. “Also, my knee hasn’t been hurting like it has the last two years. I worked all summer to get as fast as I could for this year and it helps that Coach Rychcik always knows when to send me.”
The next three batters – Leath, Dubay and Hudson – each notched RBI doubles to make it 6-0. Hudson scored two batters later on a sac fly from junior designated hitter Nora Militz. The Catamounts pushed one across the plate in the sixth, but it wasn’t nearly enough.
BU’s pitching was the story in Saturday’s second game, as sophomore Megan Currier (4-4) tossed a complete-game shutout, allowing two hits and one walk while striking out five. Currier has allowed one run in her last 25 innings, lowering her ERA to 3.84.
The game was scoreless until the bottom of the third, when freshman second baseman Melanie Delgado led off the inning with her first collegiate home run. Dubay continued her great start to the season, belting a leadoff homer of her own in the fourth. The junior leads the Terriers with a .432 average, four homers and 21 RBI.
“I’ve just been very relaxed at the plate. I know I have nothing to lose,” Dubay said. “I’ve been seeing the ball really well and making good contact.”
