Softball, Sports

Crucial non-conference stretch awaits softball

Senior outfielder April Setterlund broke the all-time career runs record this past week and will look to play a central role for the Terriers in a busy weekend slate of games. Michael Cummo/Daily Free Press File Photo

In a rare mid-season interlude in the midst of America East Conference play, the Boston University softball team will play five non-conference games through Sunday.

Two of these games will take place when the team visits the University of Rhode Island on Friday at 3 p.m. and two others when it hosts Fairfield University on Sunday at 1 p.m. Wednesday’s scheduled game against Bryant University was rained out and will be played Thursday at 4 p.m. at the BU Softball Field.

BU (20-12, 6-3 AE) expects the trip to Rhode Island – which saw a game versus Providence College get cut out because of the rain – to be a successful one, as URI (3-33) has not found much success this season.

Catcher Nicole Massoni, one of URI’s most threatening offensive players, has a .286 batting average and some pop, too – she leads the team in home runs (seven), RBIs (21) and slugging percentage (.527).

“Obviously we don’t want [Massoni] to hurt us, but I think sometimes you have to pitch to her,” said BU coach Shawn Rychcik. “You just have to approach it the same way: hit the spots, make the ball move and get people out . . . We’re not going to change our whole game plan, but we’ll be smart if the situation calls for it.”

On the other side of the field, Massoni has not seen nearly as much success. As the team’s starting catcher, she owns a .900 fielding percentage, and calls games for a pitching staff with a combined 7.23 ERA. Alison Hartzell, who has pitched over 40 percent of URI’s innings, is 0-14 with a 6.20 ERA and allows opponents to hit .320.

“They play in a pretty decent conference, they’ve had some tough luck and they’ve had injuries,” Rychcik said of URI’s general lack of success. “And I think the worst thing you can do is assume you’re going to be okay . . . We have tough games ahead of us and we’re going to have to battle these things out.

“That said, I like to think we’re going to get two wins because we’re the better team.”

The Terriers will get Saturday off before Sunday’s doubleheader against Fairfield (18-13), a team BU does not typically play.

The Stags’ pitching is much stronger than URI’s, as ace Sarah Minice leads the staff with a 1.76 ERA and 11 complete games. On the whole, Fairfield has a 3.58 ERA, but Minice’s supporting cast includes Emily Orr, who threw a no-hitter against the University of Hartford on April 10.

Unfortunately for the Terriers, they are unfamiliar with Fairfield’s pitchers due to the pause in the all-time series.

“I don’t know more than just what the stats say,” Rychcik said. “We hit good pitching all the time, and I don’t know [Fairfield] that well, but it’s nice to play other teams and get different looks as far as pitching and stuff, so it creates a little bit of a challenge for us.”

As for the Terriers, they are looking to carry the momentum they gained in a series win against University of Maryland-Baltimore County, which was capped by a walk-off two-run home run by redshirt first baseman Chelsea Kehr.

The Terriers, who are locked in a second place tie with the University of Maine in the America East Conference standings, will look to use the break from conference play as a way to continue to improve their weaknesses and perfect their numerous strengths.

BU is led on the mound by sophomore Erin Schuppert and freshman Holli Floetker, who have ERAs of 1.63 and 1.67, respectively. But Rychcik is looking to get each of his pitchers some innings this weekend, including senior Kelley Engman, who has pitched in just four games this season.

“Whoever we put out there I’m pretty sure is going to give me their best effort,” Rychcik said.

While wins would indeed be nice – and even expected – for BU, the team is mostly focused on growing together during its nearly two-week layoff from conference play.

“Being a young team like we are, every game helps us get better,” Rychcik said. “It’s a never-ending task. Everybody has room to get better, and we’re going to try to get better as a team.”

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