Terriers Travel to Binghamton for Weekend Series
May 6, 2011 | Softball
BOSTON - The Boston University softball team (30-15, 12-4 America East) will head to Binghamton (21-19, 9-5 AE) this weekend in a critical three-game series that will play a role in determining the America East regular-season champion and host of the conference tournament.
Saturday's (May 7) twinbill will begin at 1 p.m. and Sunday's (May 8) regular-season finale is set for noon.
With two wins, the Terriers can secure at least a share of the regular-season title and claim home-field advantage throughout the tourney.
BU, which currently sits atop the America East standings, is one game ahead of second-place Albany. The Terriers also hold the tiebreaker, thanks to last weekend's sweep of the Great Danes. Binghamton recently secured its first-ever tournament berth. The Terriers hold a commanding 25-4 advantage in the all-time series with the Bearcats and have won 13 of the last 14 meetings. Last year, BU swept Binghamton in three games, highlighted by junior Emily Roesch's walk-off grand slam.
The Terriers are coming off a tough 10-3 loss to crosstown rival Boston College on Thursday evening. Despite getting 10 hits off the Eagles, BU was unable to overcome an early four-run deficit. Freshman Brittany Clendenny was 2-for-4 with a run and two RBIs, while sophomore Whitney Tuthill connected for three hits.
As she has all season, senior April Setterlund leads the team with a .417 batting average, which is good for second in the America East. She leads the league in doubles (12) and walks (36) and is second only to teammate Jayme Mask in runs. Mask has crossed home an impressive 42 times to rank eighth in the BU single-season record book.
Setterlund now has career school records in five categories and is closing in on three others. She needs four home runs and 12 walks to break program career records as well as five walks to snap Christy Leath's ('09) single-season mark.
As a squad, BU's prolific offense leads the league in runs (236) and extra-base hits (109) and is second in batting average (.287). It is also in a seven-way tie for first in the NCAA with seven grand slams, while redshirt freshman Chelsea Kehr has three of her own and is tied with three others for first in the nation.
Meanwhile, the pitching staff boasts a conference-best 2.13 ERA with eight shutouts and 226 strikeouts. Freshman Holli Floetker owns a team-best 1.93 ERA with 11 wins, three shutouts and 89 Ks. She is undefeated in conference action with a perfect 6-0 record. Sophomore Erin Schuppert (10-5, 1.99 ERA) and Tuthill (9-6, 2.08 ERA) have also seen significant time in the circle. Schuppert has shut out three opponents and Tuthill picked up her first of the season last weekend in a 7-0 win over Albany.
The America East Softball Championship begins next Thursday (May 12) and will run through Saturday (May 14). Check back to GoTerriers.com for schedule updates as they become available.
