Catcher Shannon Bustillos swings at a pitch during the Terps’ 8-6 win over Penn State on April 17, 2015.
At the point where the infield dirt touches the green grass of the outfield at Maryland Softball Stadium, seven numbers were evenly spread from left to right along the curve, representing the seven Terrapins softball seniors: 4, 7, 8, 15, 24, 25 and 66.
The white numbers represented utility player Bridget Hawvermale, infielder Jessica Warner, outfielder Erin Pronobis, catcher Shannon Bustillos, infielder Mandy Gardner, and pitchers Jaymi Bautista-Geiger and Kaitlyn Schmeiser, respectively.
The decoration was part of the Terps’ Senior Day celebration Sunday, and while No. 4 Michigan swept the Terps, who failed to register a hit, Bustillos managed to make history over the weekend against a familiar foe.
On Saturday, the Anaheim, California, native stepped into the batter’s box in the fourth inning against a fellow Southern Californian, Wolverines pitcher Haylie Wagner. With one out and the bases empty, Bustillos launched the pitch over the center-field wall for her ninth home run of the season.
The solo shot tied Bustillos with shortstop Lindsey Schmeiser and former Terp Beth Radford for first all-time in program history with 27 career home runs.
“I’m just trying to go out and put out a good swing on the ball, nothing too crazy,” Bustillos said.
Despite etching her name in the record books, Bustillos didn’t realize she had accomplished the feat until she was scrolling through Twitter after the game. While Bustillos is glad to join the ranks of the top power hitters in program history, she realizes her time atop the leaderboard will likely be short-lived with Schmeiser returning next year.
“[Schmeiser’s] gonna break that next year by a long shot, so I’m happy to just be even in the top,” Bustillos said.
Sunday, though, Bustillos couldn’t add to her season-long success at the plate on her Senior Day. After she laid down a sacrifice bunt in the second inning, Bustillos struck out swinging to lead off the fifth inning.
And when Bustillos came up to the plate in the seventh inning as the last batter standing between pitcher Megan Betsa and a no-hitter, she watched the third strike whiz into the mitt of catcher Lauren Sweet, the same player who ended her high school career in the state championship.
“Lauren Sweet hit a walkoff grand slam,” Bustillos said. “So I was like, ‘What a way to end it; you ended my senior year in high school, now you’re ending my senior-year day.’”
The series finale loss came while Kaitlyn Schmeiser tossed a complete game for the Terps, limiting one of the country’s top offenses to one run. But with the Terps unable to muster a hit, it marked a tough ending to a celebratory weekend.
Still, Schmeiser, Bustillos and the rest of the seniors managed to enjoy their final home series in a Terps uniform.
“This was honestly one of the best ways I could’ve gone out,” Schmeiser said. “I’ve been watching this program since I was 6 or 7 years old, I’ve been coming to games since I was 6 or 7, so it’s huge to be able to come out and finish like this.”
