After participating in four invitational tournaments, the Boston University softball team is poised to begin conference action on Saturday with a three-game series at Lehigh University.
The Terriers (6-16) are coming off of a spring break period during which they played 12 games in 10 days as part of two tournaments in Florida. BU managed a 6-6 record in that time.
“I think we started to find our identity down there,” said BU coach Kathryn Gleason. “You need to play the games to see what combinations work both offensively and defensively, and I think overall it was a great trip for the team and their confidence.”
BU began its busy spring break with the Florida Gulf Coast University Spring Break Classic in Fort Myers, which took place from March 6 to Thursday. BU dropped its first three contests, but the Terriers hit their stride later in the tournament, winning three of their final five games.
The Terriers played especially well during three games against Quinnipiac University, during which they had their top two scoring games of the young season. In the three games, BU outscored the Bobcats (3-14) by a combined score of 25 to six.
Following the FGCU Classic, the team headed to Tampa, Florida this past weekend where it took part in the Michele Smith Spring Break Invitational, hosted by the University of Southern Florida.
In the five games, the Terriers played fairly well, with their worst loss coming at the hands of hometown USF (25-8) – an 8-0 loss in five innings Friday. However, BU managed to finish with a 3-2 record in these games.
Gleason said the Terriers have room for improvement as they head into the bulk of their season.
“I think being more consistent on defense is key,” she said. “The routine plays are the ones that are eating us up a little bit. Offensively, we’re getting people on and getting people in scoring position, but it’s just a matter of stepping up and putting the ball in play.”
Offense comes alive over Spring Break
One of the takeaways for BU through the first part of the regular season has been an impressive offensive output, especially as of late.
BU averaged approximately five runs per contest over spring break, and Gleason said that she is pleased with the team’s offensive development thus far.
Freshman right fielder Emma Wong leads the team with a .407 average in the 2015 season.
Sophomore catcher Gabi Martinez and senior second baseman Emily Felbaum have also significantly contributed to the offensive power output for BU. The players lead the team in home runs with three apiece, and pace the squad in RBI with 12 and 11, respectively. Wong, who recorded an inside-the-park home run in a 2-1 loss to Quinnipiac on March 8, is the only other player for the Terriers with a home run on the year.
In the team’s third and final matchup against Quinnipiac on Wednesday, the Terriers produced an offensive masterclass punctuated with a season-high 13 runs. The top five spots in the lineup combined to go 11-of-14 at the plate with 11 runs scored and eight RBI. The team recorded 15 hits in the contest, which was also a season best. The seven steals for BU in that game tied a school record, with sophomore third baseman Brittany Younan, freshman shortstop Jilee Schanda and sophomore centerfielder Mariah Connolly swiping two bags each.
Gleason said if the team can maintain this type of offensive production and continue to run, they will be in excellent shape for the rest of the year.
“I always tell them that our go-to is our speed,” said Gleason. “If we can get those people on base, especially at the top of the lineup, we can do a variety of things to move them around and then get them in scoring position for the four, five and six hitters.”
Junior pitcher Lauren Hynes leading the way on the bump
With BU’s pitching staff facing a number of injuries in the early stages of the 2015 campaign, much of the workload has fallen on junior pitcher Lauren Hynes.
The San Diego native leads the team in almost every pitching category, including innings, complete games, appearances, games started and wins.
The three complete games for Hynes all came in Florida, where she also won her first three contests of the year. To put her recent performance in perspective, only one other member of the pitching staff has a single complete game: freshman Sydni Overly.
She is also holding opponents to a stingy .258 average at the plate. Hynes herself is a strong presence with a bat in her hands, boasting a .314 average and seven RBI on the season.
Gleason said she was not surprised by the matter in which Hynes has risen to the occasion.
“Lauren’s a warrior,” she said. “We relied on her a lot last year when we had some injuries to the pitching staff, and unfortunately we’re dealing with that again. She’s really stepped up and dug in … she just goes out there and competes.”
Nick Neville is a junior in COM studying journalism and the Sports Editor of the Daily Free Press. When he's not making a paper on Beacon Street, you can catch him working as a Sports Correspondent for the Boston Globe or helping to produce BU's only professional sports talk show, Offsides. Follow him on Twitter: @n_nebs95
