Hours after the final out was made, Terrapin softball infielder Alex Schultz made it clear what the Terps wanted to do in the wake of a disappointing weekend in Atlanta.
Schultz said the Terps weren’t going to sulk about being the tough-luck losers after a winless series against Georgia Tech, nor were they going to be satisfied with the fact they had just hung with an ACC powerhouse.
No, Schultz said, they simply wanted to get back on the field.
“We’re just ready to go beat up on somebody else,” Schultz said.
Schultz and the Terps take on Hofstra (17-5) today in a doubleheader at Robert E. Taylor Stadium. Fresh in their minds is the weekend’s three-game sweep at the hands of the Yellow Jackets that dropped the Terps to 0-5 in ACC play.
The Terps (19-12) have had no trouble in midweek doubleheaders this season — they’re a perfect 6-0 this year — and they’re currently riding a 13-game non-conference winning streak. But the weekend of missed opportunities in conference play has the Terps even more motivated than usual headed into today’s games.
“I feel bad for them,” Schultz said Sunday of the Terps’ next opponent. “They’re gonna get all of our frustration and anger from the weekend.”
Had the Terps driven in just a few of the 27 runners they left on base over the weekend, the series could have unfolded differently. With a win or two over the reigning ACC champions, the Terps could have begun their climb up the ACC standings and strengthened their NCAA Tournament resume.
Instead, they were left to wonder about the weekend — and turn their attention to the Pride.
“They’re excited about getting back up at the plate, and redeeming ourselves,” coach Laura Watten said. “Hofstra is a tough team, a team that we have a chance to go out and make a statement for ourselves [against], and get our bats going again.”
The Terps’ offense wasn’t completely stagnant against Georgia Tech. In the first game of the series, the Terps tagged the Yellow Jackets for eight runs. The issue was that Georgia Tech scored nine.
“It’s definitely a building process,” Schultz said. “We’ll get the games to go our way.”
It won’t come easy Tuesday. The Pride will likely trot out CAA Pitcher of the Week Olivia Galati, who comes into the doubleheader with a 10-2 record and a 1.37 ERA.
Hofstra should pose a sterner test for the Terps than their two most recent home doubleheader opponents, James Madison and Howard — they beat the two local lightweights by a combined score of 29-8 — but that doesn’t change the Terps’ outlook for Tuesday.
“We’re expecting to walk away with two wins,” pitcher Kerry Hickey said.
schneider@umdbk.com
