Game One Box Score | Game Two Box Score
BRIDGEWATER, Mass. - The Bridgewater State College softball team swept a Massachusetts State College Athletic Conference (MASCAC) doubleheader versus Fitchburg State College this afternoon at Alumni Park in Bridgewater.
Bridgewater took the first game by a score of 10-0 and completed the sweep with a 12-4 victory in game two. Both games went just five innings due to the eight-run mercy rule.
The Bears improve to 19-9 on the season and 6-2 in the MASCAC. Fitchburg falls to 4-24 overall and 1-9 in conference play.
In game one, senior right-hander Alyssa Verronneau (Acushnet, MA) tossed a complete game, one-hitter as she posted her fifth shutout of the season. Verronneau (8-4) allowed just two base runners while striking out seven in five innings of work.
Sophomore Tracey Sanko (Windsor, CT) went 4-for-4 at the plate with two home runs, three runs scored and four RBI. Sanko belted a walk-off three-run homer in the bottom of the fifth.
Senior Allie LeBlanc (Somerset, MA) also homered for the Bears who banged out 11 hits in the opener. LeBlanc, who was 2-for-3 with two runs and an RBI, jump-started the BSC offense with a solo blast in the second inning. Bridgewater scored four times in the frame and added a run in the fourth and five more in the fifth.
Junior Lauren Cucinotta (Franklin, MA) also had multiple hits for the Bears as she finished 2-for-3 and scored a pair of runs in game one.
In game two, LeBlanc finished a triple shy of hitting for the cycle as she went 3-for-3 with a home run, a double, two runs and five RBI. She belted a two-run homer in the first inning, added an RBI single in the second, and knocked in two runs with a double in the fourth.
Cucinotta continued her hot hitting in the doubleheader as she finished 3-for-3 with three runs and three RBI in game two. Senior Stacy Capodiece (East Lyme, CT) and sophomore Heather McPherson (Mansfield, MA) also had multiple hits for the Bears. Capodiece was 2-for-2 and scored a run, while McPherson went 2-for-4 and crossed the plate twice.
Junior Jamie Ducinski (Duxbury, MA) earned the win relief for BSC as she improved to 4-1 on the season. Ducinski allowed two runs (one earned) on four hits in four innings of work. She walked one and struck out four.
Bridgewater scored three times in the first highlighted by LeBlanc's dinger. Fitchburg however answered with three runs of their own in the top of the second.
The Bears quickly retook the lead with four runs in the bottom half of the inning with Cucinotta knocking in two runs with single while also coming around to score on LeBlanc's base hit. Bridgewater added a run in the third, three more in the fourth and the game-ending run in the fifth.
Senior Alicia Rocco (Tewksbury, MA) went 2-for-3 for Fitchburg in game two, while sophomore Lauren Donell (Ayer, MA) was 1-for-2 with an RBI double and a run scored.
Sophomore Karen Skoczylas (Palmer, MA) finished 2-for-4 with a double, two runs scored and a stolen base in the two games. Skoczylas had the Falcons' only hit of the opening game, a double in the top of the second inning.
Bridgewater travels to North Adams, Mass on Monday for a MASCAC Patriots Day doubleheader with MCLA. Game one will get underway at 1:00 PM. Fitchburg travels to Fisher College on Wednesday (4:00).