The Boston University softball team may have finally found its footing 37 games into the 2015 season after it captured a 10-6 win over the University of Massachusetts Amherst on a Wednesday afternoon shrouded in cloud coverage.
It was a back-and-forth contest where there was a tie or lead change seven times throughout the game. For the Terriers (13-24, 4-8 Patriot League), the win was their fifth in six contests, while the loss for the Minutemen (14-21) snapped their four-game winning streak.
“We were just excited to play at home,” said BU coach Kathryn Gleason. “We had a couple of lineup changes in the beginning because a couple kids were running from class, since it’s a Monday schedule, but I just think they were excited to be at home. They just have a comfort level to them and with comfort comes confidence.”
Things started out grim for BU as sophomore pitcher Makinna Akers let up a double to shortstop Quianna Diaz-Patterson to start things off, which was later followed by an RBI single from first basemen Bridget Lemire to get her team on the board.
It would not take long for the Terriers to respond, as they put up two runs in the bottom half of the first inning. Sophomore center fielder Moriah Connolly led things off with a triple and was scored by freshman left fielder Emma Wong. Wong stole second base, and sophomore third basemen Brittany Younan’s RBI single drove her in.
“Momentum went back and forth. They scored first, and we came back,” Gleason said. “So we talked about that, trying to get that pitching change in the fifth, which I think we warranted it, but they didn’t have anybody warming up, so I just thought everybody contributed to it.”
Originally, the teams were supposed to play two games on the evening, but because the first game took two-and-a-half hours to get through, it was determined that a second game could not be played due to lighting.
That may explain why UMass starting pitcher Caroline Raymond pitched the entire game and threw 145 pitches.
She faced trouble in the bottom of the third inning when BU put up three runs. Freshman infielder Jilee Schanda, senior second baseman Emily Felbaum and an error on the Minutemen contributed to the Terrier runs.
Akers then proceeded to struggle in the top of the fourth, letting up four runs and having to be removed from the game. Junior pitcher Melanie Russell then came in with a runner on first base and got the next batter to pop out to end the inning.
The Terriers have relied on these two pitchers to carry their rotation due to the fact that other pitchers Lauren Hynes and Sydni Overly are both out with injuries.
Hynes has remained active for BU, though, as she has been playing first base consistently for the team, including in this game.
“She has an injury that is preventing her from pitching,” Gleason said. “She’s been one of our top three, maybe now top five, best hitters throughout the season. And she always gives us a great at-bat whether it be a walk or she battles. We’ve been looking for a true first basemen, and she plays some great defense, but we have a lot of options. If you’re going to hit and get on base, we have to find a place in the lineup for you.”
She is fourth in batting average right now with .310 and leads the team in walks and on-base percentage.
Meanwhile, Gleason did not have much of a status update on Overly’s progress.
“Nope, no, nope,” Gleason said.
BU put up three more runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to extend its lead, but Russell had to avoid trouble in the sixth inning.
She allowed the bases to become loaded to start the frame, but came back with two strikeouts and forced a pop-up to cut the threat out.
“Huge confidence booster for her, huge,” Gleason said. “We had the same thing, and they got out of it. Mel is just trying to get back in the rhythm of things, so that was huge. Not only to come into the game and shut them down, but to come into the game and get them out. She had the confidence and the defense behind her to get that down, so it was a huge momentum shift to us.”
