Softball, Sports

Softball perseveres in wake of tragedy

AUDREY FAINE/DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF Junior third baseman Megan Volpano hit a game-winning 2-RBI double.
AUDREY FAIN/DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF
Junior third baseman Megan Volpano hit a game-winning 2-RBI double.

With the heartbreaking events of Monday weighing on their minds, members of the Boston University softball team traveled to Smithfield, R.I., on a gloomy Tuesday afternoon to play against Bryant University, and the team came up with an emotional 8-6 victory.

The big win came after it swept the University of Maryland-Baltimore County over the weekend, outscoring the Retrievers (8-32, 1-11 America East) 13-2 over the course of three games. In that series, the two standout players were junior center fielder Jayme Mask, who stole eight bases during the series, and freshman pitcher Lauren Hynes, who consistently shut down UMBC.

Tuesday’s game was not just an ordinary game for the Terriers (15-20-1, 5-4 America East). After the tragedies that occurred in Copley Square the day before, the players chose to wear blue and yellow ribbons in their hair, the colors of the Boston Marathon.

“It was important for them to honor the victims and the first responders and heroes that went in, which is why they decided to wear the blue and yellow ribbons,” said BU coach Kathryn Gleason. “They definitely played for Boston today. Their resiliency and toughness definitely represented the city today.”

The two teams also stood hand in hand during the national anthem following a moment of silence for those who perished during Monday’s attack.

The Terriers continued what they started over the weekend against UMBC. The dynamic duo of Mask and Hynes at the one and two spots in the lineup struck again, as Hynes drove in Mask on an RBI single to strike first and give BU a 1-0 lead.

Unfortunately, Hynes — who gave herself a bit of room to work with on the mound — could not hold on to the lead for long. In the bottom of the first she gave up a single and a walk, followed by a three-run home run to give Bryant (14-19) a 3-1 lead.

“We went ahead right away and thought we had some momentum on our side,” Gleason said. “It was a hitter’s zone and we just weren’t hitting. Bryant’s a good hitting team and we knew that going in. We’re going to continue to put [Hynes] out there, and she’s going to get tougher the more she pitches.”

A quiet second inning from the Terriers and then another home run for Bryant gave the Bulldogs a commanding 4-1 lead, forcing Gleason to pull the freshman starter.

BU did not respond on offense until the fourth inning.

To start off the frame, junior catcher Amy Ekart singled on a bunt but was thrown out at third on senior second baseman Emily Roesch’s fielder’s choice the next at bat. A series of singles from the bottom of the BU lineup sparked a small rally, as the team scored three runs to knot the score at four apiece.

After a dominant bottom of the fourth by senior pitcher Whitney Tuthill, BU struck again in the top of the fifth. To start off the inning, Hynes hit a double to left-center field and advanced to third on an error, setting junior third baseman Megan Volpano up nicely. Volpano hit a sacrifice fly to center field, scoring Hynes and giving BU a 5-4 lead.

Similar to the first inning, the Bulldogs had a response for BU, as junior Taylor Bell hit a two-RBI double to give Bryant a 6-5 lead.

BU started the sixth inning with a lead-off double. Then a one-out single from sophomore left fielder Emily Felbaum set Mask up for a crucial at bat. An error at first base allowed Mask to reach base, advancing the runners and tying the game up. From that point, BU took over as a two-out, two-RBI double by Volpano gave the Terriers the necessary cushion to finish the game.

With their ace Tuthill on the mound, the Terriers won 8-6, extending their win streak to four games and displaying the perseverance the city of Boston needs now more than ever.

“Everyone is getting confident and we’re getting contributions from everyone on the team, which is the best part,” Gleason said.

“We had a great practice last week that propelled us forward. We talked about playing with more intensity and they took it to heart. Considering what happened yesterday, they came out especially with intensity today.”

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