Closing out its 2012-13 season, the Boston University softball struggled in its final games, dropping three of four contests this past weekend against the University of Connecticut and Stony Brook University.
The Terriers (21-26-1, 8-9 America East) were riding a three game winning heading into Storrs, Conn., to take on UConn (26-27) Thursday. The Huskies were a familiar opponent for the Terriers, as the two clashed at the BU Softball Field earlier in the year, a game in which the Huskies edged the Terriers by a score of 11-8.
In the Thursday matchup, the Terriers sent freshman pitcher Lauren Hynes to the circle. Hynes, who has vastly improved since the start of the season, went seven innings, allowing four runs on seven hits and struck out two in another solid effort.
Although Hynes was strong in the circle, she needed offensive support, which BU gave to her very early in the contest. In the first inning, senior second baseman Emily Roesch doubled to left field, which brought in junior third baseman Megan Volpano, giving the Terriers an early 1-0 lead.
The score remained that way until the fourth when the UConn offense finally started to click. After a sacrifice fly and an RBI single by second baseman Brittany Duclos, the Huskies took a 2-1 advantage heading to the fifth.
Despite falling behind, BU came right back in the top half of the fifth and tied up the game. Hynes helped her own cause, and drove in the tying run on an RBI groundout.
With things still all knotted up at two, the Terrier offense exploded for three runs in the sixth frame, taking a 5-2 advantage. Junior first baseman Chelsea Kehr had the highlight of the inning with her two-run home run. Sophomore left fielder Emily Felbaum added another run with an RBI double to center field.
The fifth run proved huge, as the Huskies battled back in the bottom half of the frame. Duclos came through with another RBI single and freshman Valerie Sadowl added an RBI single of her own to cut the Terrier lead to one.
With a walk, the Huskies had the bases loaded and a golden opportunity to tie or take the lead in the game, but Hynes induced a groundout from right fielder Maddy Schiappa to end the threat.
Hynes retired the side in order in the seventh, giving the Terriers the victory, which was their fourth in a row.
With this four-game win streak in hand, the Terriers next took on America East foe Stony Brook (31-22, 10-8 America East) in their final series of the season.
The first game of the three-game set was a classic pitchers’ duel between Hynes and Allison Cukrov.
The two kept the game scoreless until the fifth inning, when BU finally jumped on the board. Felbaum came through with a double to left, scoring junior shortstop Brittany Clendenny.
With the way Hynes was pitching, it appeared that could be enough. She went six innings and only allowed three hits.
However in the, the Seawolves took the lead, scoring two on a single by right fielder Bria Green.
The two runs gave Cukrov enough support, as she shut down the Terriers in the final frame.
BU sent senior pitcher Erin Schuppert in the second game of the day to attempt a win in the circle. Schuppert struggled from the outset, and allowed 10 hits and four runs in her 5.1 innings of work.
The Seawolves scored three runs in the first two innings, and took an early command of the game.
However, in the third inning, the Terriers got to ace pitcher Christine Lucido and knotted up the score. With Volpano’s RBI double and junior catcher Amy Ekart’s two-run shot, the Terrier comeback was in full force.
The Terriers added another run in the next frame on a home run by freshman right fielder Haley King, and BU took its first lead of the game.
However, for the second time, the Terriers could not hold the lead and blew another chance to win in the sixth. Pinch hitter Melissa Phelan came off the bench for Stony Brook and delivered a two-run homer, good enough for the lead and the win, as the Terriers lost their second game of the day 5-4.
The final day of the three-game set did not fare much better for the Terriers, as the team dropped the final game of the season by a score of 8-0.
Hynes got the start for BU again and kept the game scoreless into the third inning. However, this scoreless game quickly turned into a blowout, as Stony Brook slugged out seven runs in the third inning off of the freshman pitcher.
The Seawolves added another run in the fourth, giving them an 8-0 lead. The Terriers came to bat in the fifth, and promptly went down 1-2-3, ending their season in mercy rule fashion. The loss not only ended the season, but it was BU’s last ever game as a member of the America East Conference.
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