The Boston University softball team came away from the Hofstra University Invitational this weekend with three wins and a loss.
On Saturday, the Terriers (10-10) beat Hofstra (13-4), 9-4, and defeated the University of Connecticut (6-13), 6-4. The next day, they disposed of UConn again, 9-1, but had trouble with Hofstra, losing 2-1.
Junior outfielder April Setterlund had an outstanding weekend, breaking the program career record for doubles (35) and going 3-for-5 in the first two games.
“She’s having a really nice year,” said BU coach Shawn Rychcik. “She’s been consistent, she’s driving in runs, she’s getting on base and she’s a great player. That’s why she was an All-American last year, and we’re fortunate to have her.”
Setterlund got the Terrier offense started on Saturday with a single to center field. Senior infielder Rachel Hebert was then hit by a pitch driven in by senior catcher Caitlin Rentler, who reached base on a fielder’s choice.
Hofstra tied the score in the second inning, but BU scored what proved to be the only runs it would need in the bottom of the third, starting with an RBI double from Setterlund. Hebert then hit a three-run homer that scored Rentler and Setterlund, giving the Terriers a 5-1 lead.
The Pride got within one run in the fifth inning, but Rentler and senior third baseman Rachel Moeller contributed a pair of RBI singles to put the game out of reach in the sixth. Freshman Whitney Tuthill pitched 4.2 innings in the victory, allowing four earned runs on eight hits.
Senior ace Cassidi Hardy took the pitcher’s circle for the Terriers against UConn. She gave up three hits and two runs in the first inning, but kept her composure and allowed only two runs on seven hits over the rest of the game.
Hebert sparked a third-inning rally with a solo home run. Sophomore infielder Erica Casacci and Setterlund then stole a combined three bases and were driven home on a double by Moeller to tie the game, 3-3. BU had another three-run inning in the fifth, and the Huskies managed one run in the bottom of the seventh but were unable to complete the comeback.
The Terriers kept rolling against UConn the following morning, starting off the 9-1 rout with three runs in the first inning. The Huskies scored their only run, an unearned one, in the top of the second, but were unable to do much else against senior pitcher Megan Currier, who gave up just two hits. Moeller and Rentler led the Terrier offense with three hits and two RBIs each, and Casacci contributed two runs.
The Terriers’ second meeting with Hofstra was a far cry from the offensive contest they dominated on Saturday. Freshman pitcher Whitney Tuthill got her first hit of the season, a solo home run, in the third inning. The shot ended up being the Terriers’ only run.
But BU was simply unable to solve freshman pitcher Olivia Galati, who struck out 13 batters. Hardy gave a solid performance, allowing two earned runs on three hits, but one of those hits was a solo home run in the bottom of the seventh by Pride junior Sara Michalowski to break the 1-1 tie.
Despite the tough loss in the final game, Rychcik was pleased with the way the team played as they evened their record, a losing one before this weekend, to .500.
“I thought we played with a lot of heart,” he said. “We played a couple good teams and really battled and played together as a team. I was really pleased with how we fought through the games.”
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