Pitchers are pitching, injuries are healing and things are starting to turn around in the Boston University softball team’s bullpen. Ace junior pitcher Brittany Detwiler made an early comeback from an ankle injury suffered March 30, and while her first start in two weeks didn’t go as smoothly as hoped, just having her back is a step forward. The Terriers second starter, Cassidi Hardy, came back from a minor leg injury to pitch a complete game and give up just one unearned run.
“It feels good to be back out there,” Detwiler said. “We just wanted to get me a couple innings.”
Detwiler made the start in the second game of the University of Maine doubleheader, a 4-2 Terrier loss, Wednesday afternoon. She ran into trouble right off the bat when she allowed two runs in the first off a triple from Ashley Waters after hitting the preceding batter. Waters scored the next run when Amy Kuhl executed a successful squeeze play.
“I was not as strong as I wanted to be, but that’s what you get for taking two weeks off,” Detwiler said. “You lose it really quick.”
The second inning went better for Detwiler, who looked like she was slowly shaking off the rust. She still hit a batter and Maine scored two runs, but both were unearned after a defensive error, one of four Terrier errors in the game.
Detwiler saw nine batters in her two innings of work, giving up three hits and two earned runs, though four crossed the plate overall. Her arm looked strong — she was throwing fireballs at the Black Bears — but her control wasn’t quite game-ready.
“She came out just firing the ball and maybe not quite ‘pitching,'” said BU coach Shawn Rychcik. “That first time back on the mound is always an adventure.”
The ankle Detwiler hurt when she stepped on a ball in the dugout against Boston College was in an ankle brace, but she said it wasn’t hindering her pitching. The weeks of rehab have healed her ankle enough to clear her for games — and now it’s just about getting comfortable again.
“She’s just got to get a feel for pitching again, and there’s just no way to do that except get her in the game,” Rychcik said. “I think her arm is strong enough to go seven innings right now, it’s just a matter of getting her comfortable on the mound again.”
In Detwiler’s absence, freshmen Shayne Lotito and Melody Popravak have each gotten time on the mound. Popravak pitched her first complete game of the season in a win against the University of Hartford on Sunday, while Lotito has been solid in her first cameo on a mound since high school.
“They have both stepped up big time and have really taken the role upon them and run with it,” Detwiler said.
In the first game of the doubleheader, Hardy struck out five and walked five and allowed just one run on four hits in a complete game win, 2-1. Despite the solid statistics on the day, Hardy was still limited in her throwing arsenal, according to Rychcik.
Lotito and Popravak will continue to get opportunities while Detwiler and Hardy work themselves back to full strength. When that happens, Lotito will return to full duty at centerfield, but Popravak, who is beginning to prove herself, might earn more time in the next few games.
“If everything is right, I’ll have [Lotito] in centerfield,” Rychcik said. “Mel was really effective today; she is giving me some innings the last couple of days that are pretty good.”
The Terriers will need both their starters back in shining form come playoff time if they are to compete in the America East Tournament. Until then, it’s up to Lotito and Popravak to provide solid backup and the offense to offer consistent run support.
“It’s nice to have them back and have some options with them, but to get them 100 percent is going to take a little work and creativity,” Rychcik said. “We’ve got our players back, now we’ve just got to get them back in performance shape, where they feel comfortable where they were throwing shutouts on the weekend.”