After a dominating performance in last weekend’s Leadoff Classic, the No. 16 Massachusetts softball team entered the Speedline Invitational in an unfamiliar position – favored. The pressure was there, but UMass coach Elaine Sortino felt they handled it well.

“I thought the [players] did a really good job handling the pressure, especially at a nationally recognized tournament such as Speedline,” Sortino said. “We’ve been there before, but we’ve never been the hunted. No UMass teams under me have ever been in that position.”

Unfortunately, the Minutewomen had a disappointing performance in Plant City, Fla., finishing with a 2-4 record on the weekend including a heartbreaking loss to No. 4 Washington. The victories included two shutout performances – an 8-0 win over North Carolina and a 2-0 win over Ball State.

Day one featured impressive pitching from UMass aces Kaila Holtz and Kelli Arnold. Arnold shut out North Carolina while giving up one hit in the first game. Against the Huskies, Holtz battled with UW’s Tia Bollinger through seven scoreless frames in a classic duel between two great hurlers.

The Maroon and White had an opportunity to take the lead in the top of the seventh. Brandi Cross singled to break up Bollinger’s no-no, before being replaced by pinch runner Kristi Stefanoni.

After freshman K.J. Kelley advanced Stefanoni to second on a sacrifice bunt, Arnold singled up the middle, sending Stefanoni home. But Washington centerfielder Rita Roach threw a strike to the plate, nabbing Stefanoni and preserving the 0-0 tie.

Washington went on to win the game in the bottom of the eighth inning, sending home the runner it received by way of the international tiebreaker. Holtz finished the game with a career-high seven Ks, while Bollinger finished with an impressive 12 strikeouts.

“It’s a nice feeling to put two quality pitchers on the mound,” Sortino said. “I think [Arnold] learns a lot from [Holtz], in terms of bringing her along and mentoring her. It’s great pitching staff that works together. There is no substitute in our game for quality pitching.”

The Minutewomen were caught off-guard and unprepared in a 5-1 loss to Hofstra, but Holtz dominated in the second game for another stellar performance over Ball State. In their final two games at Speedline, Northwestern and Illinois defeated the Maroon and White, 9-6 and 6-4, respectively.

Aside from the two aces, two more players shined on the national stage. Hilary Puglia (four hits, four runs, eight RBIs) and Emily Robustelli (.333 BA, three runs, three RBIs, two leadoff homers) have been solid throughout the young season. With some stellar individual performances, Sortino remains positive about where the season is headed for her team and individually.

“The team was very disappointed, frustrated, and knew they were much better team than what they had shown,” Sortino said. “Our heads are high and we’re moving forward. We cant let this hold us back in terms of what we need to keep doing to get better.

“We got a big game on Friday against Texas A’M. We just have to keep going and take the lessons that you learned.”