Michigan softball’s designated player Amanda Vargas swung and popped up high between first and second base in the first inning of the team’s game against Maryland on Sunday.
First baseman Jordan Aughinbaugh called it and drifted to her right to get under the ball. Then second baseman Skylynne Ellazar called louder, put her hands up and got under the ball. She planted her feet and caught the second out of the frame.
The junior stared at Aughinbaugh, seemingly imploring her to step back, before drawing a line in the dirt with her cleat about 15 feet to the right of first base. Anything to the right of that line was Ellazar’s responsibility.
“Sky’s getting just a little bit more comfortable … playing next to Jordan, the two of them together,” coach Julie Wright said. “They’re feeling good, understanding what’s theirs and what isn’t theirs.”
The chemistry between Ellazar and Aughinbaugh is an example of the new formula the Terps have employed since the start of conference play in late March. Maryland shuffled its infield and has improved its communication in cleaner outings and tighter games, as evidenced against No. 18 Michigan. The Terps took one game from the three-game series.
The Terps have the worst fielding percentage (.942) in the Big Ten. But since it began Big Ten play, Maryland’s fielding percentage has improved to .960, the fifth-highest in the conference.
“Our infield is literally outside every single day before practice working,” outfielder Sarah Calta said. “It’s really just shown. They kind of turned a corner and this is our infield. Even when we were struggling, our team knew that our defense was better than this and these are the infielders and this is how they play.”
[Read more: Maryland softball surrenders a seventh-inning lead in its 4-3 loss to No. 18 Michigan]
The infield includes the same pieces that started the year, but positions have changed. Anna Kufta plays shortstop after starting as a third baseman; Juli Strange plays third base after starting the year at second; and Ellazar plays second after starting at shortstop or third base
For Ellazar and Strange, the transition to new positions wasn’t new. Wright described Ellazar as a natural second baseman despite hardly playing there in college, and Strange played third as a junior.
But Kufta was recruited as a catcher and third baseman. The freshman is learning a new position, and pitcher Madison Martin said shortstop is a hard position if “you’re a veteran there or whether you’re just learning the position.”
“She’s sacrificed everything for this team this year, she’s a complete team player,” Wright said of Kufta on Saturday. “She’s worked hard to get it right.”
The familiarity with new positions helped Maryland escape tough situations all weekend. In the Terps’ 2-1 win on Saturday, the Wolverines had a chance to come back in the seventh inning. After a single and double brought home the Terps’ first run of the game, outfielder Destiney Henderson threw out the tying run at the plate. With two runners on, Strange sparred a grounder and threw across the diamond to clinch the win.
“They’ve worked my tail off for the last two weeks, out early hitting them groundball after groundball, bucket after bucket,” Wright said. “It’s just finally coming together for them, and they’re starting to play good softball at the best time.”
