One of the disadvantages to playing in the Northeast is that the weather typically isn’t too kind to softball until after spring break.
The Massachusetts softball team spent the first six weeks of the season playing games on the road and at neutral fields – all in places that aren’t the Northeast. Today is a different story.
UMass (17-7, 2-0 Atlantic 10) will take a short break from its conference schedule and play its first game in Amherst against Dartmouth in a doubleheader after shutting down George Washington in both of its games on Sunday.
Pitcher Sara Plourde (1.16 earned run average), who is currently the NCAA leader in strikeouts with 244, finished with 15 strikeouts in nine innings while allowing one base runner in both games combined.
Following a slow offensive weekend at the San Diego Classic II where the Minutewomen scored 22 runs in six games, they bounced back with 28 runs in their doubleheader with the Colonials.
Last week, UMass coach Elaine Sortino put extra emphasis on the offense with extended batting practice after watching her team get shut out by Texas A&M and Long Beach State.
Hitting was the least of Sortino’s worries after the Minutewomen finished with 28 hits throughout the day.
It was the first time they beat an opponent by more than 10 runs since their 14-3 opening win over Providence on Feb. 12.
UMass is hoping to have similar results against the Big Green, who is coming off a 13-game slide. Dartmouth’s (1-15) only win came on March 6, when it defeated Western Carolina, 4-0.
Its latest defeat came against Boston University, who shut out the Big Green in the first game, but gave up three runs in the second part of the doubleheader.
Dartmouth is no stranger to the UMass Softball Complex.
The Big Green was also the first opponent at home for the Maroon and White on March 29, 2006. UMass shut out the Ivy League school twice while scoring 28 runs in the two-game series.
Although Dartmouth still had a losing record, it was in better shape than it is now. The Big Green were 7-10 going into Amherst and went 3-1 the previous weekend at a tournament in Florida.
The No. 24 Minutewomen will be Dartmouth’s second ranked opponent of the year. Its first was against then-No. 18 Oklahoma State, who took a 4-2 decision at the South Florida tournament.
If the Big Green are going to have any luck at stopping UMass’ offense, they will have to cool down senior Sarah Reeves, who had six hits in nine at-bats against GW. The first basemen tied a school record in Game 1 against the Colonials with five hits.
In Game 2, her only hit of the game in four at-bats was a grand slam in the fourth inning.
Even if Reeves doesn’t have another record-breaking game, the Minutewomen are just as difficult to stop on offense as they are on the mound with four hitters currently above the .300 mark. Outfielder Carly Normandin, who didn’t play the first seven games of the season, is leading the team with a .429 average.
Despite today’s series being the first time UMass will play at home since the start of the season on Feb. 12, it shouldn’t get used to its turf too much, as it will be on the road again until April 7 when it hosts Boston University.
Adam Miller can be reached at [email protected].
