Softball, Sports

No mercy

As the America East schedule begins to wind down for the second-place Boston University softball team, the Terriers took care of business and swept a crucial doubleheader Sunday at University of Hartford by scores of 11-2 and 9-2.

Freshman infielder Megan Volpano hit a home run in BU’s second game against Hartford University on Sunday to drive in the winning run. Volpano went 6-for-8 in two games on the weekend with a double and three RBIs. Photo by U-Jin Lee/DFP Staff

Game one was not close as the Terriers (26-12, 8-3 AE) scored three runs in the second inning and never looked back. Senior designated hitter Christina Valdes – getting just her fifth start of the season – stole the show with a 2-for-4 performance at the plate with five RBIs, three of them coming on a three-run home run in the second.

Redshirt first baseman Chelsea Kehr continued her recent tear with two hits and two RBIs in three at-bats, and redshirt freshman right fielder Jayme Mask, junior left fielder Erica Casacci and freshman catcher Amy Ekart contributed an RBI each, Ekart’s coming on a solo home run in the fifth.

Freshman pitcher Holli Floetker was near the top of her game, giving her team-high eighth complete-game effort of the season while scattering two runs on seven hits and five strikeouts.

In game two, the Terriers did not deviate too much from the script in taking Hartford (7-29, 2-9 AE) down 9-2.

The teams were tied 1-1 entering the third, but after a walk to senior center fielder April Setterlund, freshman infielder Megan Volpano homered to put BU up 3-1, a lead it would never relinquish. Freshman shortstop Brittany Clendenny singled to drive in another run later in the inning.

“She was red hot,” said BU coach Shawn Rychcik said of Volpano. “The home run was hammered to center field. It was out by a bunch. She swang [sic] the bat real well today, and that’s why she hits in the four spot: to produce RBIs for us.”

The Terriers tacked two runs in the fifth on a pair of wild pitches and three more in the seventh to put the game out of reach, and to give plenty of run support to sophomore pitcher Whitney Tuthill. Tuthill mirrored Floetker’s performance, pitching all seven innings while scattering six hits and giving up two runs.

“There weren’t a whole bunch of hits hit hard, some in-betweeners, some bloopers, and a couple were OK, but [Hartford] didn’t hit the ball around the park that well, so pitching gave us a decent shot and I was happy with their performances,” Rychcik said.

Previously, the Terriers took down Harvard University 5-3 on Thursday at home to split the season series 1-1. Casacci took advantage of some shoddy Harvard (27-14) defense when she scored after a Crimson error and two passed balls.

BU tacked on a run in the third inning on a Volpano RBI single, two runs in the fourth on back-to-back RBI doubles from Mask and Casacci, a one in the fifth on a Volpano home run.

On the mound, all of the team’s four hurlers pitched in for the win. Sophomore Erin Schuppert pitched two scoreless innings before handing the ball to senior Kelley Engman, who threw a scoreless third. Floetker kept pace with two scoreless innings of her own, and Tuthill let up three runs before locking up the 5-3 win.

Rychcik said this was all according to his plan in an attempt to get everybody some game action during a stretch of the season when the rain has made it hard to do so.

“I wish Whit went a little better, but luckily I was able to get everybody work, and I just think it helps going into the weekend, especially when you have a long layoff like that,” Rychcik said. “It’s been a while since everybody’s really worked innings, so that was what the plan was, just get them some innings, get their feet back on the rubber. You want to prepare everybody for conference.”

BU will take on Hartford again Monday at noon in Hartford as it goes for the three-game series sweep.

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