The Boston University softball team opened conference play this weekend with a three-game sweep of Stony Brook University, winning 3-1 and 7-0 on Saturday and 5-0 on Sunday, with senior pitcher Cassidi Hardy picking up her program-record 76th win along the way.
Stony Brook (13-11, 3-3 America East) was picked in the preseason coaches’ poll to finish third in the conference standings, one place below BU (18-10, 3-0 AE). The Seawolves had played three conference games prior to this weekend and won them all, but the strong defense that had served them well faltered on Saturday.
In a pitchers’ duel between Hardy and Stony Brook senior Alyssa Struzenberg, it was a series of errors by the Seawolves that eventually made the difference. Struzenberg struggled with control early, hitting two batters and walking another to load the bases for senior third baseman Rachel Moeller. Moeller hit a sacrifice fly to center field that scored junior infielder Erica Casacci.
Hardy held off the Stony Brook offense, allowing just one hit in the first four innings to give BU a chance to add to its lead in the bottom of the fourth. Moeller led off with a walk, advanced to second on an error by the second baseman and reached third on a passed ball. Freshman designated hitter Whitney Tuthill hit a grounder that Stony Brook senior shortstop Vicki Kavitsky misplayed, allowing Moeller to score.
The Seawolves’ only extra-base hit came in the top of the sixth, when Kavitsky doubled to center field. Center fielder Brijette Martin then hit a line drive to left, scoring Kavitsky, but was tagged out trying to take second herself.
After leading off the bottom of the sixth with a walk, freshman outfielder Taylor Cowan scored on an error to make the final score 3-1.
“We take advantage of whatever opportunities possible,” said BU coach Shawn Rychcik. “We got hits, we put pressure on them, and they didn’t make some plays. That’s what the name of the game is.”
Junior Colleen Matthes got the start for the Seawolves in the second game, but only made it two-thirds of an inning before being relieved by senior Casey Jacobs. Senior infielder Rachel Hebert and Casacci reached base on a walk and an infield grounder respectively, and Setterlund drove them both in with a triple to right field.
Setterlund then crossed the plate herself on a single by Cowan, who was in turn driven in by sophomore infielder Emily Roesch. Jacobs finally got Tuthill to fly out to right field, but Stony Brook was already in a 4-0 hole that proved to be insurmountable.
Moeller hit her second home run of the season in the third inning, scoring Setterlund to make it 6-0. Tuthill, whose .364 batting average is second only to Setterlund’s .595 on the team, knocked a double into right-center in the fourth and eventually scored on a single by Hebert.
Tuthill also had one of her strongest outings yet in the pitcher’s circle, allowing just two hits and one walk in the shutout.
“This was probably her best game,” Rychcik said of Tuthill. “In the no-hitter [against University of North Carolina at Charlotte,] there were a few more hard-hit balls, but I think she was in control of the game today pretty much throughout.”
On Sunday, Hardy was back in the circle to earn her program record-breaking 76th career victory as she shut out the Seawolves with a career-high 12 strikeouts.
“She’s had a great career here,” Rychcik said of Hardy. “Over the last couple years she’s helped build this, and get the program where it is right now. I’m real happy for her. She’s worked hard.”
Moeller, one of the team’s biggest offensive contributors this weekend, gave the Terriers an early 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first with a single that scored Hebert and Casacci.
Four innings later, Struzenberg found herself in the unenviable position of having to pitch to Setterlund with the bases loaded. The first pitch came high and inside, but Setterlund was unfazed, and knocked a single into center field to drive in junior outfielder Christina Valdes. Cowan and Roesch scored in the bottom of the sixth to make the final score 5-0.
“I thought 2-1 would be a good weekend,” Rychcik said after Sunday’s game. “[Stony Brook is] a good team, they’re always in the playoffs. This is one of the weaker teams I’ve seen from them offensively, so we were able to get around them a little, but I’m real proud of the girls. This is as good as we’ve played all year. [Giving up] one run in a conference weekend &- we’re going to win a lot of series that way.”
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