Juli Strange
After the Terrapins softball team suffered a mercy-rule loss in Game 1 against No. 21 Notre Dame on Sunday, the Terps tried to avoid the same fate in the fifth inning of the series finale Monday night.
With the bases loaded and two outs, the Fighting Irish had a seven-run cushion and needed one run to reach the eight-run threshold that would cut the game short. When the ball sprung off Fighting Irish catcher Cassidy Whidden’s bat and toward the foul line near third base, infielder Juli Strange sprinted from shortstop to try to make the catch and end the inning.
The ball bounced off a sliding Strange’s glove, however, and fell onto the grass at Melissa Cook Stadium. Later in the inning, Whidden’s RBI single gave Notre Dame a 9-1 win.
Strange was not charged with an error on the play, but the Terps missed an opportunity to make a crucial play and get out of the inning. That was a common theme during Notre Dame’s three-game sweep, in which Watten was unpleased with the Terps performance behind their pitchers.
“We weren’t playing defensively the way we needed to play,” coach Laura Watten said.
In Game 2 of the series, the Terps (8-35, 4-16 ACC) jumped on Notre Dame (34-10, 13-5) early and held a 5-3 lead in the fifth inning. But after outfielder and No. 3 hitter Emilee Koerner reached on infielder Corey Schwartz’s error to start the inning, the Fighting Irish plated five runs and took the lead for good.
“That was a crucial error at second base,” Watten said. “That was their best hitter, and [pitcher] Kaitlyn [Schmeiser] got her to hit a ground ball, and we didn’t play defense.”
Injuries have forced Watten to tinker with her defense this season.
On the right side of the infield, Candice Beards played first base after infielder Mandy Gardner, who started 29 games last season, suffered a concussion in early March. Strange, Schwartz and outfielder Kylie Datil received time at second base early in the season before Schwartz earned the permanent nod.
On the left side, Strange played third base to start the season because of injuries to infielder Jessica Warner and moved to shortstop after infielder Lindsey Schmeiser tore her meniscus April 16, ending her season.
These defensive substitutions have taken a toll on the Terps, who have committed 54 errors, the second-most in the ACC. The Terps’ .952 fielding percentage is also the second-worst in the conference.
The Terps pitchers struggled against the Fighting Irish, but defensive miscues also contributed to the 26 runs the staff allowed in three games.
So when the pitchers step into the circle this weekend in the Terps’ final series of the season, Watten said she hopes they’ll have a bit more support.
“We need to be able to make plays behind our pitchers,” Watten said.
