On a windy afternoon at the Boston University Softball Field, senior pitcher Tiffany Finateri was in a jam. It was the sixth inning, and with a runner on third, the tying run came to the plate in a two-run game against the University of Connecticut. But three strikes later, the veteran trotted back to dugout with a smile, recording her fourth strikeout of the day.
‘I was getting a little nervous,’ Finateri said of the late-game dilemma. ‘But I think coming in and closing the last few games have really helped me because instead of looking at [the situation] like I had to get through the whole game, I was thinking I had just came in and I had to close them out.’
And close them out she did. Finateri led the Terriers (15-16, 5-1 America East) to a 3-1 victory over the visiting Huskies (16-16-1), tallying her fourth win and third complete game of the season. She scattered five hits over her seven innings of work and did not allow a walk.
After starting the spring with an 0-3 record, Finateri has since rolled over the competition. In eight separate appearances, stretching over 23 innings, she has held her opponents scoreless. In addition to those games, she has only allowed one run twice, including yesterday’s game.
‘I really found my rhythm when we got back from Houston [on March 15],’ she said. ‘I felt really good after that.’
Even though the Nevada native hasn’t gotten the starting nod from coach Amy Hayes as of late her last start came against Harvard University on March 27 Finateri proved she could take the reins from the beginning. She retired the first eight batters of the game before giving up an infield single in the third.
‘I was a little surprised when [Hayes] first said that I was starting because she told me that other day that I was going to be a closer,’ Finateri said. ‘But it felt good. I was really happy I was getting in there.’
BU has been riding the strength of its pitching staff for most of the season. The combination of Finateri, sophomore Julie Henneke and freshman Erin McDonald has held Terrier opponents to a measly .218 batting average. The three hurlers also have a combined 2.84 earned run average.
Finateri has primarily helped the Terriers in the relief role this season, hooking up with McDonald on five separate occasions. She is also the only member of the team to record a save this year. But in a non-conference game like the one with UConn, Hayes hoped to give her senior the opportunity to go the distance.
‘We have a good tag team with her [Finateri] and Erin McDonald,’ Hayes said. ‘But we wanted to get her a full game in before the weekend.’
Despite her dominance on the mound, Finateri was quick to credit her teammates. Senior second baseman Kristin Knesek had six assists alone while the entire team only committed one error. The team had two miscues on Monday against the University of Hartford.
‘If we play like this on defense, we are not going to lose,’ Finateri said. ‘They really took care of the ball behind me.’