The Boston University softball team continued to steamroll the America East conference yesterday, cruising to a 5-0 road victory over the University of Maine.
BU’s fourth-straight win improved its record to 28-9 (12-2, America East), and the Black Bears dropped to 21-23 (6-8).
The talented Terrier offense battled not just Maine’s pitching staff, but powerful winds approaching 30 miles per hour blew in from the outfield. BU’s homer-happy offense didn’t knock one over the fence, but the five runs they provided to freshman pitcher Megan Currier were more than enough to earn the rookie her 15th win of the season.
Currier’s 15th complete game and third shutout lowered her ERA to 1.95, which is good for fourth in the conference. Her 15 wins are tops in the conference.
“Megan is someone we can count on,” said BU coach Shawn Rychcik “She’s going to keep us in the game. It’s hard to get a big inning against her.”
Maine’s offense struggled to get anything going against the Currier, as it mustered just five hits. Currier also walked and struck out three while going the distance.
“Making plays behind our groundball pitcher was key,” Rychcik said. “[Today’s game] wasn’t all that flashy, just very efficient. We really shut them down.”
The Terriers pieced together seven hits from six different players en route to their fourth-straight conference victory. Senior tri-captain Brandi Shields’s 2-for-4 performance, including a two-RBI triple in the second inning, paced the Terriers’ offense.
In the second inning, sophomore Brooke Hudson singled in freshman Rachel Herbert — the defending America East Player of the Week — from third and advanced Molly Gallagher. With runners on the corners, Shields’ triple to right field gave the Terriers a 3-0 advantage early.
“We’re getting production from everyone,” Rychcik said. “They’re all contributing in different ways. We’re swinging the bat well right now.”
BU’s offense completed it scoring in the third inning when sophomore Megan Coughlin’s two-RBI single scored classmates Melissa Dubay and Christy Leath.
Coughlin, who has earned the start in BU’s last three games, has made her presence known in a big way. In the second game of Saturday’s doubleheader against UMBC, Coughlin recorded two RBIs in a game that was decided by two runs. The sophomore followed up that performance with a home run in Sunday’s finale that ended up being the game-winner. Including yesterday, Coughlin has five RBIs in her last three contests.
“Megan has done a real nice job for us. She has the opportunity now,” Rychcik said. “Those two runs really sealed the game for us.”
Coughlin has made the most of her opportunities so far this year, starting in just 21 of the Terriers’ 37 games, knocking in 17 runs and crushing three homers. Her 17 RBIs are good for sixth on the team, ahead of two players that have appeared in every game for the Terriers. Her three home runs also put her in a tie for sixth on the team.
The Terriers showcased an offensive balance against Maine that makes them difficult for any opposing pitcher to deal with. On a day when top Terrier run producers Hebert and senior Chiya Louie didn’t have an RBI, BU was still able to plate five runs.
“Today was nice,” Rychcik said. “I didn’t have to look at the line score to see who had hits — there were hits across the lineup. That’s what makes us good. Working around batters gives opportunities to the rest of the lineup.”
The Terriers now stand a game and a half — only one game in the loss column — above Stony Brook University, against which the Terriers split their two-game series earlier in the season. With only a handful of conference games left in the season, this race may be close to the end. Stony Brook battles the University of Hartford today in an attempt to keep pace with the streaking Terriers.
“I think we’ve been playing really well for a while now,” Rychcik said. “I don’t know if we’re at our best, but we’re at a really high level right now.”