Softball is getting defensive about its play in the field.

Head coach Christina Sutcliffe said she was nervous about how the Huskies started their season defensively, but she’s been impressed with the progress the team has made in the field since the season began.

In the season-opening weekend, the Huskies committed 16 errors in their five games at the FAU Kick-Off Classic Feb. 7 to 9 in Boca Raton, Fla.

“Defense should be our strongest suit,” Sutcliffe said. “We went into that first weekend in FAU thinking our defense would be what would hold us together, so it kind of surprised me that they had that off week.”

Sutcliffe said the increased communication, practice and game time helped the Huskies improve their play in the field early on in the season. They cut down on their error total, committing only six errors in their following five games.

After committing 22 errors in their first 10 games (2.2 per game), the Huskies have been tabbed for only 16 errors in their last 12 games (1.3 per game), dropping the errors per game to 1.7.

“I think it’s been the difference between getting from inside to outside and getting the comfortability of getting the different hops that you can’t create [on the turf] in the Chessick [Practice Center],” Sutcliffe said. “… And then, just the communication and anticipation of where the pitch is going and where they need to be on the field has improved. So, I think with the knowledge of that mixed with the confidence of being on the dirt has made all the difference for them.”

Of the team’s 38 errors, 29 (76.3 percent) of the errors have been committed by the infielders. The Huskies began practicing outside on the dirt for the first time Thursday. Sutcliffe said practicing on the dirt will help the team, especially the infielders, continue to improve even more defensively.

Errors are still part of the game and will surface from time to time, but junior pitcher Jessica Sturm said that to be successful, errors must be erased from the mind while on the field.

“I’ll just let it go,” Sturm said. “If you let it get to you, it’s just gonna get worse.”