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One tournament into the Maryland softball season, the Terps’ pitching rotation is beginning to come together. After relying heavily on primarily two pitchers last season, the same type of dynamic is beginning to play out for two of the team’s best pitchers in 2018.
Despite junior transfer Sydney Golden being injured last season and Ryan Denhart being only a freshman, the two combined to pitch the majority of Maryland’s innings last weekend. Denhart tossed up a 2.06 ERA in 15.2 innings, while Golden pitched to a 2.33 ERA in 11.2 frames.
Golden has no qualms with her potential workload, though.
“I didn’t pitch a lot last year because I was hurt, but the year before I pitched a ton so I’m used to it,” Golden said Thursday. “The workload’s not a concern of mine at all.”
While it appears that Golden and Denhart will be the workhorses of the team, Julie Wright remained non-committal on a repeat of last season’s rotation style, when seniors Madison Martin and Hannah Dewey pitched nearly every inning of every game.
“It’s really gonna depend on our matchup, performance, and maybe just what we’re needing in that moment,” Wright said. “What you’re gonna see is a little more even innings. Ryan and Sydney are obviously doing some really good things with the ball right now, so I continue to see them getting starts, and I also continue to see Sami Main and Lauren Graves doing their part as well.”
Main and Graves pitched 4.2 and 2.0 innings last weekend, with Main allowing three earned runs and Graves keeping opponents off the board. Wright wouldn’t rule out either of them assuming a larger pitching load going forward.
“It’s just too early for me to commit to anything like that. Right now they’re doing a really good job as a staff and that’s what I’m really pleased with,” Wright said.
Since Maryland’s offense is still trying to find its footing, Denhart and Golden currently hold two losses each, with Golden recording Maryland’s only win. However, their ERA and their ability to pitch well on limited days rest bodes well for the team’s pitching future.