Sydney Lewis stepped up to the plate against Rider with two runners on base and two outs in the fifth inning. Maryland softball’s RBI leader worked the count to 2-2, fouling off two strong pitches in the process.
Lewis finally turned on the sixth pitch, knocking the ball over the right field fence. The junior’s second home run of the week delivered three runs for Maryland in its 5-0 win over the Broncs on Saturday.
Lewis has homered five times through 21 games this season, already topping her season total from last year. The first baseman’s swing is designed for power production — the upward angle of her swing launches balls on a higher trajectory, rather than the traditional line-drive focused swing.
But Lewis isn’t just swinging for the fences. She’s hitting .290 at the plate this season, which is fifth on the team. Her average has increased each year she’s been at Maryland, but she’s still hoping to get on-base more.
“I haven’t been hitting recently the way I want to,” Lewis said. “I’ve kind of been wanting to focus more on base hits.”
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Lewis’ .929 on-base plus slugging percentage leads all Maryland hitters. Her hit tool is critical to the Terps’ offense, as she also leads the team in total bases, home runs and RBIs.
“We need Sydney to come up with RBIs any way she can,” coach Lauren Karn said. “She’s in that spot in the lineup for RBI opportunities.”
Lewis’ approach at the plate has been big for her teammates’ success. As the fourth batter in Maryland’s lineup, extended at-bats are important to give her teammates more opportunities to watch the opposing pitcher.
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By consistently fouling off multiple pitches, she’s helping the following hitters — graduate student catcher Sam Bean and sophomore infielder Bailey Murphy. The results show, as Murphy’s .395 batting average leads the team, while Bean’s .322 slots in at third best.
“When Sam and Bailey come up after her, but they’ve seen a lot of pitches in Sydney’s at-bat, it also helps them and is crucial to them and the success that they have in their at-bats,” Karn said.
As a team, the Terps lack offensive power, as their 10 home runs are the second fewest in the Big Ten and their .393 slugging percentage is the third worst mark in the conference. This makes Lewis’ hard-hitting ability even more valuable for a Maryland squad that relies on every single one of her home runs.
“I’m really thankful for moments like that, thankful that I can help my team,” Lewis said.
