Trailing by a run in the weekend finale against LIU Brooklyn yesterday, the Terrapins softball team had a chance to win the game in the bottom of the seventh.
After a single by infielder Hannah Dewey loaded the bases, the Terps had two chances to take control of the game. They had a 1-8 record entering Sunday, including three losses already this weekend, and a win could have boosted the Terps’ confidence.
Instead, catcher Shannon Bustillos grounded out and outfielder Kylie Datil struck out, giving LIU Brooklyn a 2-1 win.
The Terps’ inability to supply the big hit in scoring situations contributed to another disappointing weekend in which the team finished 1-4 at the Florida Atlantic Tournament in Boca Raton, Fla.
“We’re getting runners on, and we’re leaving a lot of runners on,” coach Laura Watten said.
The Terps (1-9) struggled to produce timely hitting for much of the weekend, but in their lone triumph, an 8-4 win against South Carolina on Friday night, they had eight hits while leaving only five players on base.
Outfielder Amanda McCann went 2-for-3 against the Gamecocks and was the Terps’ best hitter throughout the weekend, finishing 9-for-15 at the plate.
“She was trying way too hard last weekend and not letting herself relax, slow down and focus on the moment,” Watten said. “She made that adjustment into this weekend, and that was something that was really good to see.”
Aside from McCann, the Terps offense was stagnant for most of the weekend, scoring four runs in the four losses. Without much production at the plate, the Terps pitching kept the team in games.
After giving up 35 runs in five games last weekend, the Terps’ pitchers improved their performances this time around. Brenna Nation, who gave up four earned runs in 10.4 innings, was effective both as a starter and in relief. Kaitlyn Schmeiser got her first win of the season against South Carolina, giving up three earned runs in five innings.
“I think they’re going to continue to get better,” Watten said. “Last week, they were a little bit off, but I think they really came around this weekend.”
Pitcher Hannah Dewey, however, has a record of 0-4 and continues to struggle in the circle. She allowed four earned runs in 4.1 innings this weekend and has a 9.03 ERA this season.
Dewey could not pitch much during winter break due to a back injury and is still working on getting back into her routine.
“We just have to find the right time to be able to use her to help build her confidence a little bit,” Watten said. “So she can continue to build on each outing.”
The season hasn’t started off how the Terps had hoped, but Watten wants her players to realize where the team would have been had it produced a few clutch hits this weekend.
“It would have been night and day,” Watten said. “We would have been 5-0.”
