First-inning rallies have fueled Terriers during stretch of nine wins in 10 games

Over the last 10 games, the Boston University softball team has outscored opponents 33-4 in the first inning. Not coincidentally, they have won nine of those 10 games.

The Terriers have proven themselves capable of coming from behind for a decisive victory, as they did on March 27, turning an early 5-1 deficit into a 12-5 win over the College of the Holy Cross. But most of the time, they have buried their opponents early and never looked back. As they pick up momentum nearing the middle of the season, the most obvious reason for this pattern is the consistent success of the top five hitters in the order.

Junior outfielder April Setterlund’s achievements so far this season have been well-documented and with good reason: Setterlund leads the nation in batting average, hitting a staggering .595 over 28 games, and is second in slugging percentage (1.194). She recently shattered the previous program record for doubles and has hit 14-for-17 in her last five games.

But opposing pitchers are often reluctant to walk Setterlund, because much of the time, either junior second basemen Erica Casacci or senior first basemen Rachel Hebert &- or both &- are on base ahead of her. Casacci, who is tied for second on the team with 11 walks, has a .388 on-base percentage and has scored 34 runs for BU this year. Hebert’s on-base percentage is .371, and she drew a pair of walks in the Terriers’ last two games against Stony Brook University.

And if that group doesn’t come through, pitchers still have to contend with junior catcher Caitlin Rentler, who is hitting .345, slugging .452 and second only to Setterlund on the team with 29 hits. Behind her, senior third basemen Rachel Moeller boasts an even better slugging percentage (.500). Moeller doubled in the game-winning run on Sunday.

“The rest of the team’s really helping out by being on base around [Setterlund],” said BU coach Shawn Rychcik.

Rychcik also cited strong hitting by Rentler in the cleanup spot as one reason why pitchers may hesitate to walk the Terriers’ top slugger.

In short, the top of BU’s order has been explosive from the first pitch of the game, and the offense they provide has made every contest a little easier on the rest of the team.

“It takes a lot of pressure off the pitchers, to pitch with a little bit of a lead,” Rychcik said. “It takes a little pressure off the hitting and also opens us up offensively. Today we had a couple people get thrown out at the plate, but we’re allowed to take some chances [because we had the lead]. We had the chance to push it, and I’m going to continue to do that. It helps our confidence, and it also knocks them down.”

BU’s pitching certainly has looked confident in recent games. Senior Cassidi Hardy allowed just one run in 14 innings against Stony Brook this weekend &- to say nothing of her 12 strikeouts and program-record 76th career victory on Sunday.

Hardy has been masterful for the Terriers throughout her four years here, turning in strong performances almost regardless of how the rest of the team plays. But every pitcher prefers to take the circle with a lead, and Hardy has been able to relax and do just that for most of this season.

If freshman pitcher Whitney Tuthill’s performance is any indication, she is also enjoying the run support the top of the order is providing. Her ERA through 10 appearances is 2.79, particularly impressive considering that she’s only a freshman. Tuthill added to that impressive freshman resume with a no-hitter against the University of North Carolina-Charlotte on Feb. 27.

Jumping out to an early lead game after game should certainly inspire confidence in the team as a whole, and Rychcik said that has indeed been the case.

“We’re very loose right now and I’m just letting it go,” Rychcik said. “They believe they can win, they believe in each other, and they want each other to have success. When somebody gets a hit, it’s not just because they’re on the team that they cheer for each other &- they like each other right now. It creates great chemistry, and for three weeks we’ve played pretty well, and it shows in the attitude.”