Challenging Season for BU Softball Team

Emily Felbaum (COM’15) was named Patriot League Player of the Week on Monday after batting .353, with two homers and eight RBIs. Photos by Justin Lafleur

The BU softball Terriers (13-24) have defied expectations all season—but not in the way they had hoped. The defending Patriot League champions entered the season as league favorite after being picked for the top spot in the preseason poll. But with 13 consecutive losses at the start of the year and a 4-8 league record, the team is currently second-to-last in the Patriot League. As they prepare to host a three-game series against Colgate tomorrow, the Terriers are hoping to salvage what remains of the season.

“It’s been an interesting season,” acknowledges Kathryn Gleason, the 17-year veteran head coach. “We had a very challenging schedule and we knew that. We presented that to the kids right away, and they were ready. I thought we performed well in Arizona, and I think we had a great spring break. The conference schedule came, and we just couldn’t play because of the weather. I think we had a 17-game layoff at one point. So, it’s been tough, really tough.”

The players know they face a challenging adversary in Colgate. Boasting a 9-3 Patriot League record, the Raiders have some formidable players. Holly Geranen leads the league in home runs (9) and slugging percentage (.690), while Katie Bushee is fourth in batting average (.407). Colgate’s pitching has been good enough to rank second in the league in team ERA (3.16). The Raiders’ overall record, however, is 14-13, and the Terriers hope to capitalize on that.

“They’re a really good team,” says Emily Felbaum (COM’15). “Clearly, they’ve been dominant in the conference. They like to hit a lot of home runs, so we can’t let them beat us on the long ball. I think if we just keep them in the park, we’re going to have a good chance. It’s a big three-game series for us.”

Leading the Terriers going into the weekend series are outfielder Emma Wong (CAS’18) and infielder Moriah Connolly (Questrom’17). The electrifying duo rank sixth (Wong) and seventh (Connolly) in batting average in the league.

Felbaum has given the team a much-needed spark of late as well. Batting .353 with two homers, five runs, and eight RBIs last week, the outfielder earned her first career weekly honor, being named the Patriot League Corvias Player of the Week Monday. She leads the team in home runs this season, with five.

“I felt like I was really seeing the ball well” last week, says Felbaum. “That helped a lot, and I finally got my timing down. The weekend before, a former teammate picked up on something I was doing wrong. She helped me get my front foot planted, and I think it made a huge difference for me.”

The team is fourth in the Patriot League in a variety of offensive categories, including batting average (.281), and RBIs (137), but pitching has been erratic. Currently, the Terriers have a collective ERA of 4.91, more than two points higher than last season.

Pitcher Melanie Russell (COM’16), who went 13-5, with a 2.11 ERA, last season, highlighted by a perfect game, has been plagued by injuries this season and is currently 2-6, with an 8.44 ERA.

“Mel has been dealing with some injuries,” says Gleason. “I think that’s set her back. She came back in January ready to go, and injuries have just derailed her ever since. Some people come back and replicate their season, and some don’t because of things like injuries. It’s been frustrating, but we’re just trying to get her back to her mode.”

Pitcher Makinna Akers (CGS’15) has emerged as a new Terrier ace. She is building off a strong freshman season, where she went 9-3, with a 2.49 ERA. This year, she’s posted a 5-7 record, with an ERA of 3.76.

With so many returning starters, the Terriers came into the year with high hopes of another Patriot League title. They’re keenly aware that they look like a different team this season, but with just nine games left, they believe they still have a shot at turning things around.

“We were really discouraged for a while,” says Felbaum. “Before we left for Lafayette last week, we talked to our sports psychologist about how to think about this and how to get through the rest of the season. I think the difference was we were trying to get through the rest of it, instead of still looking forward to something to play for. We know that if we win every series, we still have a shot at the Patriot League championship, so we just use that as a goal.”

The Boston University softball team hosts Colgate University tomorrow, April 25, at noon and again at 2 p.m. at the BU softball field, across from the Track & Tennis Center on Ashford Street. On Sunday, April 26, at noon, the two teams will go head to head once again, at the same location. The games are free and open to the public.

Emmanuel Gomez can be reached at mannygo@bu.edu.