The Terrapin softball team was excited to start ACC play last Saturday, but rain forced them to wait one more day for its series against Virginia at Robert E. Taylor Stadium.
After getting swept in the doubleheader on Sunday, they probably wish the whole weekend had been rained out completely.
The Terps lost by scores of 5-3 and 3-1, dropping its record to 10-9 on the year and 0-2 in the ACC.
The dominating pitching of Kendra Knight and Kerry Hickey has been the Terps’ biggest asset this year. It was nowhere to be found Sunday. By the time the pitchers had settled down in both games, the damage had already been done.
Knight didn’t make it past the second inning in game one, allowing three runs on five hits while walking three. Hickey would only allow two runs in relief and infielder Alex Schultz hit a solo homerun, but the Terps never recovered from the five-run deficit.
The Cavaliers (12-9) jumped on Terps’ pitching early again in game two, scoring two runs in the top of the first inning off of Hickey. While Hickey drove in a run in the bottom of the third, it would be the only run the Terps scored in the game.
The two-game sweep certainly wasn’t what the Terps’ had in mind for their anticipated ACC opener. The team had won six of its last seven games, and refused to overlook weaker teams like Howard and Princeton heading into its clash with Virginia.
While they were able to take care of business of those less competitive teams, they couldn’t against Virginia.
Weak pitching was a surprise for the Terps, but inconsistent offense was not. The Terps left a combined 16 runners on base while only scoring four runs.
Coach Laura Watten’s team is at the bottom of the ACC in nearly every offensive statistical category.
Watten stressed that this was a weekend the team wanted to put behind it. Luckily, they get a chance sooner rather than later. The Terps get a shot at redemption when they face off against Akron and Colombia at the Florida Rebel Games in Kissimmee, Fla. on Wednesday.
Jeremy Schneider is The Diamondback’s Terps’ softball beat writer. He can be reached at schneider@umdbk.com.