Rain, rain, go away; come again some other day.
That’s probably what the Boston University softball team is saying to itself right now as its second consecutive game of the season was cancelled Wednesday in Providence. The Terriers had to reschedule their home opener last Saturday against Boston College after heavy amounts of snow made Malvern Field unplayable.
“The girls have been stuck inside for two weeks now,” said BU coach Amy Hayes. “As frustrating as it is to practice in the Armory, we just have to keep our spirits high.”
On the other hand, the postponed game against Providence just might have been a blessing in disguise for BU. First off, the Terriers (8-7) would have run into a team playing at the top of its game. The Friars (7-2) have dismantled their opponents early on this season, outscoring them by an average of three runs a game — not to mention the fact that the Friars sport the Big East Player of the Week in senior catcher Keri Jacklets and a pitching staff that has yielded only eight earned runs in its first nine games.
Secondly, this weekend’s four-game series against the University of Maine may be exactly what the Terriers need to start their conference schedule with a few wins under their belts. The Black Bears (4-18) have been more like the Bad News Bears this season. The team has lost six of its first eight contests and is now in the midst of a 12-game losing streak.
The only real threat that BU might face in the back-to-back doubleheaders is the bat of junior third baseman Leigh Ann Hylwak. After Maine’s star catcher Sara Jewett left after graduation to coach at St. John’s University, Hylwak has carried the offensive load for the Black Bears so far this season. Hylwak leads the team in virtually every offensive category, including batting average (.295), hits (18), home runs (three) and runs batted in (11).
The pitching trio of senior captain Robyn King and sophomores Robyn Horrick and Tiffany Finateri will look to shut down Hylwak ‘ Co. Since the return of King, these three have combined for an earned run average of just over two runs a game (2.25).
The Terriers also have their own offensive weapon in senior center fielder Kenya Palmer. Like Hylwak, Palmer also leads BU in many offensive categories, including batting average (.355), hits (11), slugging percentage (.355) and stolen bases (three).
And with junior third baseman Aryn Rangel and freshman infielder Bridget Dunlap out with back injuries, Hayes will call upon sophomore Kate Abney to step up and fill the void at third base during the two doubleheaders.
However, Hayes is not taking any chances this weekend against Maine as conference play is set to get under way.
“When it comes to conference play, it doesn’t matter what it says on paper,” Hayes said. “The team still has to go out and play its game.”
The Terriers will hope to score a repeat performance of the last meeting between these two teams. Even with Maine’s celebrated opening of its new facility at Kessock Field last season, it could not stop the streaking Terrier softball team, as BU swept Maine, 4-2 and 7-4, in the first doubleheader meeting. The teams split the second doubleheader, 1-0 (Maine) and 4-0 (BU) the following day.
“No matter what happens, we need to play outside,” Hayes said. “The pitchers are throwing well and the hitters look good inside. But we just need to swing a bat and field a ground ball outside.”
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