The Terrapin softball team had its offense exposed as an early weakness this past weekend at the Red & Black Showcase in Athens, Ga., where the team lost three of five games as it was outscored by a combined 18-9 margin.
“It was a little bit challenging,” coach Laura Watten said.
The Terps’ offense produced for much of the weekend, just not at the right time. While they were outhit only 25-23 by the opposition, the Terps failed to capitalize on the opportunities they generated, stranding 31 runners on base. Terp opponents, in contrast, left only 18 behind.
“We were hitting well and getting on. We just weren’t scoring runs,” Watten said. “I knew at some point we were going to come through and at some point we would start hitting more runs in.”
In the weekend’s opening two games — shutout losses to Iowa and Illinois State during which the Terps gave up a combined six runs — the offense had an 11-5 advantage in hits. They also had six innings, however, where they stranded two or more runners on base.
“After the first two games, I was happy we were getting the hits, but we just had to stay strong and stay with our plan,” Watten said. “Eventually we were going to hit with runners on.”
The runners finally started crossing the plate in the third game of the weekend against Lipscomb, whom the Terps beat, 4-3. Though the showing didn’t feature much offensive power, it might have revealed an equally important virtue: patience. Three of the team’s four runs came on bases-loaded walks, and the Terps earned 16 total free passes over the weekend.
“Even in our first two games, we seemed to be pretty selective and we had some good situations,” Watten said. “One of my problems was that we were being a little bit too patient at times. We had a few strikeouts looking with a few opportunities to score in those first two games.”
The Terps’ biggest bats came not from established veterans but relative newcomers. Freshman infielder Candice Beards was a bright spot in her first weekend of collegiate action, finishing with a .400 average and four walks. Infielder Bree Hanafin, a transfer from Baylor, finished with a .500 average.
The next two highest marks were under .275, and the Terps batted .192 as a team in the five games.
“It’s the first weekend for every team,” Watten said. “The stats are a little skewed.”
The lack of outdoor practicing for the team likely impacted its performance this weekend. Before the season started, Watten said it would be a big adjustment moving from the lighting and feel of a practice bubble and gym to the outdoor sun of warmer climates.
Still, she knows there can’t be any excuses for her team.
“You have to be your best at all times, especially in the clutch situations,” Watten said.
dgallen@umdbk.com
