After embarrassing the University of Vermont with four shutouts last weekend, the Boston University softball team has to be feeling confident riding a 10-game winning streak into their doubleheader against the University of Maine today at 3 p.m. at the BU Softball Field.
“I think they’re feeling pretty good,” said BU head coach Amy Hayes. “I think they are finally realizing what they can do.”
The Catamounts’ run output in last weekend’s series only makes the BU pitching staff’s dominance more obvious. The trio of freshman Erin McDonald, sophomore Julie Henneke and senior Tiffany Finateri has led the Terriers (19-16, 9-1 America East) on their current run, as they have won 16 of their last 18. Each has an ERA under 2.00 on the year.
Not only has the Terrier pitching been outstanding, but the bats and the defense have also keyed the squad’s success. Sophomore shortstop Jamie Haas has been a catalyst for the BU offense, hitting at a .375 clip, with a .453 on-base percentage. She hit safely in all four games last weekend in Burlington, going 7-15 on the series.
But the team must not lose any of its intensity and relax upon its success.
“We just don’t want to get complacent,” Hayes confirmed. “We don’t want to get put in the position where one swing of the bat can get the other team back in the game.”
Today, that other team will be Maine, an opponent that will be battling hard to get into the position that Hayes wants to prevent. The teams faced off twice on April 10 in Orono, and the Black Bears (16-16, 5-5) battled hard in a 1-0 defeat in game one before being mauled 12-0 in game two.
“I think it will be a pretty good battle.” Hayes said. “We always play well at home. Maine is really fighting to stay in it at this point; I think they are going to come after us.”
The Black Bears are coming off a disappointing weekend, as they dropped three of four games to the University at Albany at home. The Great Danes currently sit in second place in the America East Conference at 7-2, just a game and a half behind the Terriers. Maine is clinging to fourth place in the conference – the final spot in the conference tournament.
Maine is led offensively by shortstop Brittany Cheney, who sports a .383 average. Ace Jenna Merchant has mowed down hitters with a minuscule ERA of just 1.76.
The first pitch of game one is slated for 3 p.m. on Ashford Street.
NO LACK OF HARDWARE
While the Terriers have been stingy in the run department this year, they have been more than greedy when it comes to raking in the awards.
McDonald was named the America East Rookie of the Week on April 21. The freshman did not allow a run in 17 innings of work, combining with Finateri to shut out the University of Hartford, then pitching two complete game shutouts against Vermont to earn three wins. She also hit well, going 7-21 on the week with four runs scored and four RBIs.
This was McDonald’s second award; she was the conference’s pitcher of the week on April 7. BU has raked in six weekly awards on the year.