Boston University
Rutgers
Softball Drops One-Run Decisions to Maryland, Rutgers
March 15, 2013 | Softball
March 15, 2013
Box Scores: Maryland (L, 3-2) | Rutgers (L, 4-3)
CLEARWATER, Fla. - The Boston University softball team battled with Maryland and Rutgers but came up just short by one run in both contests to open the Clearwater Spring Invitational on Friday evening at the Eddie C. Moore Complex.
Avenging last year's one-run defeat to the Terriers (6-12), the Terrapins (9-14) broke a 2-2 deadlock by taking advantage of a passed ball in the bottom of the seventh inning, while the Scarlet Knights (8-9) scored the game's final run in the fifth for the 4-3 victory.
Senior Whitney Tuthill (4-7) pitched the entire contest against Maryland, scattering five hits with two earned runs coming in the third inning. She also had three strikeouts and three walks. Junior Brittany Clendenny tied the game in the sixth by driving in junior Megan Volpano off a single and then reaching home plate on freshman Lauren Hynes' sacrifice fly.
The Terrapins got on the board first behind Lindsey Schmeiser's two-out two-RBI double. They had two more runners in scoring position, but Tuthill prevented any more damage by inducing a pop up to right against their clean-up hitter.
Before the two-run sixth inning, BU had a chance to score in the fifth when freshman Haley King got into scoring position after replacing Hynes at first on a fielder's choice and reaching second on sophomore Emily Felbaum's walk. Finishing the day with three hits off six at-bats, junior Jayme Mask used a sacrifice bunt to move both runners, but the Terriers could not duplicate Schmeiser's successful at-bat with a flyout to right.
Coming out of the bullpen, Maryland's Brenna Nation (2-1) allowed a lead-off walk in the seventh before getting out of the inning by forcing three consecutive ground outs. The Terrapins then put runners at second and third with two outs before the passed ball allowed them to earn the win.
BU scored three runs to open the second game against Rutgers off two hits but only managed two hits the rest of the contest. After senior Emily Roesch was hit by a pitch, Volpano singled home Mask, who earlier singled down the left field line and stole her 64th career base to move within 18 now of the Terriers' No. 2 all-time leader, Jamie Haas ('05).
A defensive error at second by the Scarlet Knights allowed Roesch and Volpano to score and give BU the three-run lead. Senior Erin Schuppert (1-3) started off the bottom of the first with one walk in-between two outs. However, Rutgers hit three consecutive singles and used an error in the outfield to cut the deficit to one. An RBI double in the second tied the game at 3-3.
The Terriers loaded the bases in the third with two outs after a single and back-to-back walks, but Rutgers got out of the jam with the force out at second off a grounder to short.
Suffering a 2-1 eight-inning loss to Oklahoma State earlier in the day, the Scarlet Knights tallied four hits against Schuppert in the fifth with Alexis Durando's single to center driving in what proved to be the game-winning run. Facing a bases-loaded situation, Tuthill came out of the pen to record the final out and keep BU within one run.
Pitching the final 3.2 innings for Rutgers, Dresden Maddox (2-0) proved too strong, allowing just one hit and two walks in the victory.
The Terriers will return to action on Saturday (March 16) against Oklahoma State at 1:15 p.m. and Florida A&M at 6:15 p.m.
