Coach Julie Wright feels Maryland softball’s outfield poses a good problem. The Terps have four capable starters — Destiney Henderson, Sarah Calta, Amanda Brashear and Kassidy Cross — vying for the three starting positions.
Still, Wright admitted “it’s awful … because I love all four of them and they’re all playing really hard.”
So Maryland employed a different outfield combination in each game of its Big Ten opening series against Ohio State last weekend. Wright shifts around her defense and batting order based upon matchups with pitchers and performance during practice.
Calta earned her most playtime last weekend since she tore her ACL last April. After a 2-for-3 performance against St. John’s on March 20, Calta played in each game against the Buckeyes.
“We’ve been giving her time to get her ready and get her all the way back from the injury,” Wright said. “When she’s healthy, I mean, she’s one of my best hitters.”
After hitting .408 in Big Ten play last year, Calta received All-Big Ten second team honors as Maryland’s lone nominee. Wright said the senior’s experience is important, and the second-year leader wants to give Calta as many at-bats as possible to help her find her groove.
Calta’s reinsertion into the lineup came at Cross’s expense. The freshman misjudged a line drive in center field in Maryland’s 8-0 loss to No. 12 James Madison on March 19 for her third error on the year.
The next inning, Henderson replaced the Owings native in center, and Cross didn’t play in the team’s 3-0 win over St. John’s on March 20. Her lone playing time in the Terps’ 6-2 loss to Ohio State on Friday came as a pinch hitter.
But when Wright reinserted Cross into the lineup for Saturday’s game against Ohio State, Wright said she “played her little tail off.”
“I told her I wanted her to be a beast out there before [Saturday’s] game,” Wright said, “and she certainly grabbed onto that.”
Cross laid out in center twice to rob Ohio State of hits as part of her five putouts.
Wondering why @Kass_Cross in in center? ????????????
What a play! @BigTenNetwork #FearTheTurtle pic.twitter.com/rZXUWIa2Vb
— Maryland Softball (@TerpsSoftball) March 25, 2017
Sunday, Wright moved Cross to the second spot in the lineup, and she and Calta combined for two of Maryland’s three hits during Ohio State’s 22-0 shellacking to sweep the series. Wright said Cross is an all-around player with the ability to bunt or swing. She also leads the team in on-base percentage (.439).
But a reason for the change is to help other batters get into a rhythm and to try different combinations of players.
Brashear dropped from second to the bottom half of the lineup for the final two games of the series, and she steadied herself with two hits in six at-bats. Infielder Skylynne Ellazar hit in the second hole Saturday, but didn’t register a hit in five at-bats before she moved back to fifth and worked a walk.
Henderson didn’t record a hit in her starts Friday and Saturday. She made way for Calta to start in the field after Calta started as a designated player the day before.
“Destiney’s a gamer, and she’s a competitive kid,” Wright said. “She’ll do some work during the week and then we’ll be on the weekend again, and we’ll see where we’re at.”
With tough competition in the outfield, each game factors into playing time.
“They have to battle it out every single day,” Wright said, “and they know it.”
