After delay, BU set for Rams

It just might happen. But first they need a little help from Mother Nature.

After waiting more than two weeks since last stepping out on a playing field, the Terrier softball team (8-7) looks to make its home debut once again when it battles the University of Rhode Island this afternoon in doubleheader action at newly renovated Malvern Field.

BU’s last contest came on March 11, losing the final game of its Spring Break tournament to Maryland down in Florida. Since then, the Terriers’ original home opener against Boston College and two doubleheaders against the University of Maine have both been cancelled due to the recent weather in the Boston area and the resulting field conditions at the Terriers’ new softball facility. Another doubleheader in Providence was also cancelled due to weather conditions.

“We took some ground balls, and the new surface is a little soft,” said BU coach Amy Hayes. “The outfield is a little wet. … It just needs to be worked on [before the games].”

Thanks to the two-week delay, the injury bug has had time to take its toll on the team. Senior center fielder Kenya Palmer looks doubtful for today’s doubleheader after spraining her ankle in practice this past Saturday. Freshman Bridget Dunlap has been out for over a week now with back problems.

“The team is pretty down right now,” Hayes said. “It’s just frustrating [with the injuries].”

However, there was some good news out of Terrier camp as junior third baseman Aryn Rangel was cleared to return to the lineup after a neck problem forced her on the bench for over a week.

The Terriers are anxious to get back out on their home field after having been stuck practicing in the Armory for the past two weeks. And BU would love nothing more than to take its aggression out on what looks to be a team that they should be able to dominate. The Rams have defined disappointment so far this season, compiling a dismal 4-18 record. It has lost nine of its first 10 games. It also doesn’t help when the pitching staff has yielded an average of four runs a game.

The only bright spot for the Rams seems to lie on the bat and pitching arm of junior Gwen Rack. Rack was one of the Atlantic-10’s top power pitchers last season, leading the Rams in strikeouts (93) and complete games (12), and tied for the team lead in wins (nine). She was also an offensive force, posting team-highs in doubles (15), runs batted in (29) and slugging percentage (.444).

“They’re a scrappy little bunch,” Hayes said. “But I think my kids can handle it [against them] on the mound.”

Hayes will count on sophomores Robyn Horrick and Tiffany Finateri on the mound today to carry the team.

And with the recent upset of the University of Delaware this past week by the University of Hartford, Hayes knows how important it will be to put a couple of wins under the team’s belt before its next contest against conference foe Hofstra University.

“[With the Hartford upset of Delaware] it makes it more crucial to get these games in [today],” Hayes said. “It puts more pressure on us. … We just need to stay competitive.”