UConn softball is off to a hot start, but Boston University is right there with it. While the Huskies are currently on five-game win streak, the Terriers have won eight in a row. The two teams will face off on UConn’s home turf, the Burrill Family Field in Storrs, this Wednesday afternoon.
The Huskies’ five-game homestand began with a victory over Army last Wednesday, then kept rolling with a weekend sweep of DePaul. The Terriers started off their regular season at home, winning their first four games and then taking it on the road to face Lafayette and UConn. After a sweep of the Leopards, BU looks to go home to Boston undefeated since March 12.
Historically, BU has had the slight edge over UConn in the head-to-head, especially recently. While the win total since 1996 is 11-8 in favor of the Terriers, the Huskies have not beaten BU since 2013, as they ride a four-game losing streak.
When looking at the Terrier lineup, two names immediately stand out: Emily Gant and Kayla Roncin. Both currently have over a .450 batting average, with Gant at .457 and Roncin at .451. Roncin currently leads the team in hits with 46, while Gant is coming off two back-to-back four-RBI games in the Lafayette series. Overall, the team is batting a formidable .297 on the season; this is helped by other stars like Nicole Amodino, who leads the team with six home runs, and Lauren Keleher, who had six RBIs in one game last Friday.
Pitching-wise, the Terrier staff has an ERA of just 2.85, while opposing pitchers have a 4.31 ERA against the team. Most of this work has been done by Allison Boaz and Lizzy Avery, who have combined for all of the team’s wins, and 190 total innings between the two.
One the UConn side, offense comes from many different sources. From the weekend, two stand-outs were Jana Sanden, whose three-hit game on Saturday that included a home run and a double, and Briana Marcelino, who had two home runs of her own throughout the series. While the Huskies’ team batting average isn’t quite as high as BU’s, sitting at .287, the long ball is one stat that UConn shines in. Sanden, Marcelino, Olivia Sappington and Rosie Garcia are all tied for the team lead with five home runs, and the team has hit a total of 28 home runs — twice as many as BU .
In the circle, UConn does not have the innings or quite as low an ERA as BU’s tandem does, but the key to victory for the Huskies is their depth. With only four complete games all season, UConn’s ability to pitch in relief has been on display throughout the Huskies’ games so far, with the team ERA at a solid 3.59.
After UConn faces BU on Wednesday, it’s off to Indianapolis for three games over the weekend against Butler. While the Huskies are 5-0 all-time against the Bulldogs, Butler is are 6-2 in the Big East this season, so they should not be expected to give UConn any easy wins. This week will certainly be a challenging one, but it should be a test the Huskies can handle.
UConn vs. BU first pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m. Wednesday, in-person at Burrill Family Field and streaming on FloSports.
