BRIDGEWATER, Mass. – Samantha LoPilato's walk-off base hit in the bottom of the seventh inning lifted the Bridgewater State University softball team to a dramatic 8-7 victory over Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) rival Westfield State University on Sunday afternoon at Alumni Park.

The two teams were completing a doubleheader from last Wednesday. The twinbill was rained out in the first inning of game two. The Bears had won game one by a margin of 7-6.

With today's victory, Bridgewater improves to 13-7 on the season and 3-3 in the MASCAC.  Westfield falls to 6-8 overall and 2-2 in conference play.

With the score knotted at 7-7 in the bottom of the seventh, the Bears rallied with two outs as Jessica Laudati and Tara McCann rapped back-to-back singles and moved up a base on a passed ball. LoPilato then looped a single down the right-field line plating Laudati with the game-winning run.

Bridgewater had taken an early 2-0 lead scoring a pair of runs in the first inning.  Breanna Shaffer led off the frame with a double and advanced to third on Jocelyn Bettencourt's single with Bettencourt taking second on the play. Courtney Leddy lined a base hit scoring Shaffer with the first run of the game. Bettencourt then raced home on the back end of an attempted double steal.

Westfield responded with three runs in the top of the second. A dropped pop-up and a pair of walks loaded the bases with one out. Erika Gouin then smacked a two-run double to left field and Emma Dunbar followed with a sacrifice fly to give the Owls a 3-2 lead.

The Bears tied it in the bottom of the inning on Shaffer's RBI single. With two outs, Karissa Pagan doubled and moved to third on base hit by Jackie Welch. Shaffer then lined a single through the left side to score Pagan.

After the Owls reclaimed the lead on Dunbar's RBI double in the top of the fourth, the Bears quickly tied the score at 4-4 in the home half of the inning as Welch belted her first collegiate home run.

Westfield jumped back on top 5-4 with a run in the fifth. Kelsey Carpenter doubled and came around to score on Elizabeth Kelly's infield single.

The Bears rallied for three runs with two outs in the sixth. Welch doubled home LoPilato to tied the game and Shaffer followed with a base hit to put runners at the corners. Bettencourt then doubled to the gap in right-center field to clear the bases and give BSU the 7-5 lead.

A dropped fly ball opened the door for the Owls in the seventh. Carpenter singled, advanced to second on a wild pitch and came around to score when Maddy Atkocaitis reached on a three-base error. One out later, Atkocaitis raced home with the game-tying run on Kelly's sacrifice fly.

Welch went 3-for-3 with two runs and two RBI to highlight the Bridgewater's 15-hit attack. Shaffer also had three hits in the contest as she went 3-for-4 with two runs and an RBI. Bettencourt (2-4, R, 2 RBI) and Leddy (2-4, RBI) also finished with multiple hits.

Kelly McCarthy earned the complete game win in the circle for the Bears. McCarthy (4-2) gave up seven runs on six hits and four walks with five strikeouts. Only three of the seven runs were earned due to two costly BSU miscues.

Carpenter and Gouin banged out two hits apiece to pace the Owls.  Carpenter was 2-for-3 with a pair of runs scored, while Gouin had two hits in three at bats with a run and two RBI.

Emily Mailloux was tagged with the loss as she allowed eight runs (seven earned) on 15 hits. Mailloux (3-3) walked one and fanned one.

The MASCAC schedule continues for both teams on Tuesday afternoon. The Bears travel to Mass. Maritime Academy for a pair of games with the Buccaneers, while the Owls host a doubleheader with MCLA.