After the Boston University softball team saw four of its home openers get canceled due to inclement weather, the squad was finally able to open up the BU Softball Field for the first time in the 2004 season Monday. However, this time it was the University of Massachusetts at Amherst that spoiled their opening – not the rain – as the Terriers fell in a slugfest, 11-6.
“We’re on our home field for the first time this year, and we didn’t play like we were on our home field,” said BU coach Amy Hayes. “We looked like we were playing at UMass, and you can’t have that. Nobody should come into our house and do what happened today.”
Freshman Brittany Detwiler (3-7) took the loss for the Terriers (15-22, 3-0 America East), as her lack of control allowed two Minutewomen to score in the first inning without a hit.
Hayes pulled Detwiler after the pitcher gave up a hit and a walk to start the second. Freshman Ashlee Freeman came in, and after a fielding error by first baseman Liz Alley loaded the bases, the rookie hurler gave up a bases-clearing double to UMass shortstop Hilary Puglia. Freeman then settled down to retire the next three batters.
“I’m not sure we even wanted [Freeman] to even throw that much today,” Hayes said. “But you can’t come into a game like this and walk, hit batters. You can’t do that against anybody, I don’t care who it is.”
Alley made up for her error with the bat in the third inning, as she launched her eighth home run of the season, driving in sophomore catcher Josey Mendez.
“I’m feeling great up at the box,” Alley said. “I’m seeing the ball well, and I just have a lot of confidence in myself hitting.”
Puglia struck again in the fourth, however, crushing a ball over the left field fence for a solo homer, bringing the Minutewomen lead up to 6-2.
But the Terriers never gave up, as they came right back in the fourth with two more of their own. Sophomore designated player Erin McDonald doubled home freshman second baseman Chiya Louie to cut the lead to three and after a walk and a single to load the bases, senior outfielder Abbey Pauley drew a walk to bring in the second run of the inning.
Freeman kept the Minutewomen (19-11, 4-0 Atlantic 10) off-balance on offense, but a bunt single to lead off the sixth and two close safe calls at first base loaded the bases.
After Freeman got Katie Jo Kelley to pop out to the catcher, Mendez’s errant pickoff attempt at third base allowed one run to score. Troubles continued for Mendez when she couldn’t hold on to the next pitch, as it went all the way to the backstop to allow another run to score. Jamie Cahalan later doubled in the third run of the frame.
UMass put the game out of reach in the seventh inning, as K.C. Budrewicz led off with a home run. A second error by Alley and two singles allowed the last run to cross the plate, boosting the lead to 11-4.
The Terriers continued to swing until the very end as Louie hit a two-run shot in the bottom of the seventh. McDonald, Freeman and Detwiler hit three straight singles with one out, but a Mendez fly out to right field and a Pauley strikeout would strand the trio of runners to end the game.
Missed opportunities came back to haunt the Terriers, as they finished with 14 hits, but left the bases loaded on three separate occasions.
“You pound out 14 hits, that’s a pretty good day,” Hayes said. “I’m pleased with our hitting – I think we can hit with the best of ’em. We put pressure on people every inning, but you can’t do that and not back it up on defense.”
The three errors by the Terriers led to three unearned runs for the Minutewomen, leaving Hayes and the rest of the Terriers befuddled.
“I have absolutely no idea what happened,” Alley said. “I honestly haven’t played that bad at first base since I was 12 years old. I’m quite disappointed in myself, but I’m really glad that I could keep it up offensively.”
This entire season, Hayes has pounded defense and pitching into her players’ heads, and against UMass, her players let her down in both areas.
“In the circle, flat out, I need somebody to step up,” Hayes said. “I need somebody that wants to set this team on their shoulders and run with it. Right now, we don’t have it. I don’t think we ever dropped our heads on offense, but the bottom line is defense is going to win you a game.”
Hayes said she is convinced this team has the talent to win, but believes that will only happen if they get better in those two areas.
“We have to decide that we can be better than beating the UMBCs of the world,” Hayes said, referring to the team’s three-game sweep of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County over the weekend. “We have the talent – we just have to get better.”
This is an account occasionally used by the Daily Free Press editors to post archived posts from previous iterations of the site or otherwise for special circumstance publications. See authorship info on the byline at the top of the page.
