Before the Terrapins softball practice Thursday, the sound of balls exploding off outfielder Sarah Calta’s bat echoed throughout an otherwise quiet Maryland Softball Stadium.
“Good,” shouted coach Julie Wright as the Reisterstown native swept her hands through the zone, sending another line drive into the left-center field gap.
Calta’s .379 average over the past three weekends has given the team a major boost, and Wright said she’s an important bridge between leadoff hitter Skylynne Ellazar, who has a .393 average, and the middle of the lineup.
So when the Terps open Big Ten play with a road series against Ohio State this weekend, they hope Calta can continue her high level of play from the No. 2 spot in the order. Wright said her combination of speed and power energizes the whole team.
“It’s exactly the Sarah Calta that I’m looking for,” Wright said. “The top of our lineup doing what they need to do is really important.”
Earlier in the season, Calta said, she struggled at the plate because she was trying to do too much. In response to her slump, she returned to the basic formula of slashing the ball to the opposite field.
“That’s really helped her,” Wright said.
Despite Calta’s resurgence, the Terps continue to struggle producing runs. After averaging 6.3 runs per game last season, they’ve managed just 3.7 per game this year.
Infielder Lindsey Schmeiser’s absence seems to have contributed to the team’s lack of offense. The senior, who leads the team with four home runs, has been out the past few weeks with a back injury. She remains day-to-day, but Wright expects her to see limited action against the Buckeyes (15-7), a formidable opponent that received votes in the latest national poll.
The Terps (7-20), meanwhile, are in the midst of a five-game losing streak, so junior outfielder Kylie Datil said it has been important for them to manage their frustration. This is especially the case for inexperienced players stepping into larger roles, as they haven’t faced this level of adversity before.
But Datil and other veterans, along with the coaching staff, have encouraged these players to stay positive.
“We’ve been through a lot,” said sophomore outfielder Destiney Henderson, who is a first-time starter. “It’s definitely strengthened us and brought us closer together.”
This week in practice, Wright asked her players to remember positive performances against top teams such as then-No. 5 Alabama and then-No. 6 Oregon. She hopes that attitude will help her team as it begins the conference season against Ohio State.
“That’s who you are,” Wright said. “So just be that team.”
