In a night during which it scored 33 runs and didn’t allow a single hit — Wednesday’s doubleheader against Howard — the Terrapins softball team seemed relatively even-keeled.
Though the Terps tallied two whopping victories to extend their winning streak to five games, players cleaned and exited the dugout as they usually would at the end of any series.
Part of it may be due to the lackluster performance and caliber of the opposition. The Lady Bison committed seven errors in the field during the doubleheader and now have seven losses by a double-digit margin on the season.
The paltry showing from their foes was a change of pace from the Terps’ earlier contests this year, and coach Laura Watten didn’t want to get too caught up in the flattering box score. After all, the Terps play a three-game series against Florida State this weekend, a matchup anticipated to be much more competitive by comparison.
“They’re aggressive,” Watten said. “That’s just the way they play.”
The Seminoles have one of the top offenses in the conference, leading the ACC in home runs and RBIs and ranking second in batting average. The chances of shutting them out each game is unlikely, but Watten said the Terps can limit the damage the Seminoles do as long as they prevent runners from getting on base.
Pitcher Maddie Martin, who threw a perfect game against the Lady Bison, understands this as well. The Edmond, Okla. native made quick work of whomever she faced in her past start, fooling batters with her changeup and making batters roll over balls for routine grounders.
Achieving these results against the Seminoles will likely be much more difficult, especially because three of their starters are batting better than .350. But it’s a challenge Martin is willing to accept.
“I’m just going to work on hitting my spots,” Martin said, “and trusting my pitching and what I’ve been working on since day one.”
The Terps (16-16, 3-0 ACC) also can’t expect to accumulate 12-run innings on the offensive end. In fact, opportunities to score runs may come sparingly, as the Seminoles’ (26-11, 5-1) pitching staff has a 1.75 ERA and has held opponents to a .257 on-base percentage.
Though the outlook on paper suggests the Terps will have a rough weekend against their opponents, they have a mindset that goes beyond the numbers. Besides, this isn’t the first time the team has defied the predictions.
“We’re confident just because when the [ACC preseason rankings] came out we were like, ‘That’s not right,’” designated player Candice Beards said. “We just want to come out and show everybody how we really are.”
Given how early it is in the conference season, it’s still uncertain where the Terps will place come May, but if they keep performing like they have these past five games, Watten said, they should have no reason to fear the Seminoles.
“We’ve really zoned in on getting things right,” she said. “If we play each pitch at our best, we’ll be okay.”
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