Softball loses pitchers’ duel to Harvard

Facing off against Harvard University, crucial errors late in the game caused the Boston University softball team to fall Tuesday afternoon at Soldiers Field in a pitchers’ duel, 2-1.

After getting plenty of work in over the weekend during the team’s series against the University of Hartford, BU coach Kathryn Gleason gave senior pitcher Whitney Tuthill the afternoon off, putting freshman Lauren Hynes in the circle. Hynes has struggled early in the season, as she held an ERA of 6.03 entering Tuesday’s game.

The Terriers (11-20-1, 2-4 America East) did not earn a single base runner in the top of the first inning. In the bottom half, Harvard (12-17) looked to jump ahead early with sophomore Katherine Lantz at the plate and two runners in scoring position. Hynes, however, had other plans in mind, and was able to force Lantz to fly out to center field, getting out of the jam.

It was more of the same in the second inning, as BU couldn’t earn against Harvard’s freshman starter Morgan Groom.

In the bottom of the second, Harvard aimed to finish what it started in the first with runners on first and second with two outs. A wild pitch by Hynes brought the runners 90 feet closer, but a well-timed, full-count strike sent senior Stephanie Regan back to the dugout, getting Hynes out of another jam.

Gleason praised the vast improvement of Hynes over the past few weeks.

“Lauren has come a long way,” she said. “She has become a lot more confident, especially after her performance against the University of Arizona. She’s a competitor, a fighter and doesn’t back down from any challenge.”

After three innings of no-hit baseball by Groom, Hynes took matters into her own hands and singled on a 2-2 pitch. Despite stealing a base with no outs, Hynes’ teammates couldn’t attain a lead, with the next three batters being sent back to the dugout in orderly fashion.

In the top of the sixth inning, BU was the first team to break the shutouts being thrown. Harvard brought in a new pitcher in the fifth inning, freshman Jamie Halula, and it did not take long for the Terriers to break through against her.

After a pop up by sophomore right fielder Emily Felbaum, junior center fielder Jayme Mask gave the offense the spark it needed, getting a single followed by a steal. The stolen base paid off, as an error at second base allowed Mask to score and give the Terriers a 1-0 lead.

But this was all the offense produced in the game for the Terriers, as Hynes was picked off after reaching scoring position. With two runners on base and two outs, junior shortstop Brittany Clendenny flied out, forcing the Terriers to end the inning with only a 1-0 lead.

The following half inning, Hynes gave up two early doubles. With the help from an error, Harvard took a 2-1 lead. That would be enough to give the Crimson the edge, as a scoreless seventh inning by BU sealed the final score.

“Unfortunately in the sixth, [Lauren] gave up back-to-back doubles, and we just didn’t pick up the ball after that,” Gleason said.

The outing marked an improvement for Hynes, who has put up average numbers from the hill this season. After allowing just one earned run and five hits while getting five strikeouts over six innings pitched, Hynes’ ERA on the season sits at 5.33. If she can build on her effective start and take some of the slack off stalwart pitcher Tuthill, it would be a valued spark to a team that is certainly in need of one.

It has been a slow and tough road for this year’s softball team. After making the Women’s College World Series last season, the team has experienced quite a drop off, losing three of its last four. Despite this, Gleason remains optimistic.

“The encouraging thing is that we’re in close games,” Gleason said. “We just have to find a way to get those runs across. Our pitchers are holding the other guys, we just need to score.”