The Boston University softball squad will travel to Hempstead, N.Y., this weekend for games against Boston College and Hofstra University. Hopefully this time they will remember to bring their bats.
After being shutout in five of the six games they played last weekend in Fresno, Calif., the Terriers are in need of an offense. The only hint of one came in the game against the University of Indiana, a 5-4 loss, yet one of those runs came on a wild pitch and two came via sacrifices.
“I don’t have a whole lot of answers right now,” said head coach Amy Hayes. “Our averages are going up, but we’re not getting timely hits. We’re not going after every pitch.”
The Terriers have been up against tough competition through much of the season thus far, notably the Leadoff Classic in Columbus, Ga., which Hayes called “the second-toughest tournament in college softball.” The team won two games there, but it has not won since.
Hayes said the challenging non-conference schedule will help the Terriers when America East play begins on March 21. The conference has been significantly weakened this year by the departures of Hofstra, Drexel University, Towson University and the University of Delaware, so BU should start seeing better results as the spring wears on.
But the Terriers have a difficult task ahead of them on Saturday and Sunday. The team defeated BC 2-1 last season but went 1-3 in four games against Hofstra. Hayes thinks both games this weekend will be competitive.
“We all look about the same on paper,” Hayes said.
Hofstra was able to put up some big numbers on the Terriers last year, but BU’s pitching and defense have been solid this year. The most runs they’ve surrendered came in a game against No. 6 Washington, in which the Huskies scored eight. But Hayes isn’t comfortable with the burden the anemic offense has put on the defense.
“By not hitting, it puts so much pressure on the defense,” she said. “One little mistake could cost us the game.”
The Terriers have scored a mere 21 runs in 19 games. They have only one player hitting above .300 (freshman pitcher/outfielder Julie Henneke at .322) and are hitting just .241 as a team.
The numbers aren’t pretty, but there is plenty of talent on the team, and Hayes thinks it’s just a matter of getting everyone on the same page.
“We need to get back on track,” Hayes said. “We have quality athletes, but we’re not playing focused and we’re not playing confident right now.”
It’s possible this is just a young team that needs some seasoning. The roster features seven freshmen and just two seniors. One of those seniors is third baseman Aryn Rangel, a key to the Terrier lineup who is sidelined due to injury. Rangel has played just 10 games, yet she is still tied for the team lead in RBIs with five.
Hayes had been looking for somebody to step up in Rangel’s place, but it hasn’t happened. Even if it’s a freshman, the coach said the team is in need of someone to provide a spark.
“Our freshmen are all from quality programs and they were all leaders sixth months ago,” Hayes said. “We need someone to take charge on the field, and I don’t care who it is at this point.”
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