BRIDGEWATER, Mass. – The Babson College softball team swept a non-conference doubleheader with Bridgewater State University on Wednesday afternoon at Alumni Park. The visiting Beavers won the first game, 8-0, and completed the sweep with a 4-1 victory in the nightcap.
Babson improves to 20-15 on the season with the two wins, while the host Bears slip to 17-13.
In the opener, the Beavers tallied a pair of runs in the first to take the early 2-0 lead. Back-to-back singles by Lindsey Schmid and Leslie Moore and a walk to Caitie Benoit loaded the bases with one out. A wild pitch plated Schmid and Emily Morris followed with an RBI single scoring Moore.
Babson broke the game open with a five-run second inning. Morris had the big hit of the frame with a bases clearing three-run double. The Beaver tacked on an unearned run in the seventh to account for the final score.
Meghan Hayes tossed a complete game, three-hit shutout in the circle for the visitors as she improved to 12-6 on the season. Hayes walked two and fanned seven.
Moore went 3-for-4 with a stolen base, two runs scored and an RBI to pace the Beavers' ten-hit attack. Morris finished 2-for-4 with a run and four RBI, while Benoit (2-for-3) reached safely three times in four plate appearances.
Iliana Rivera (5-5) worked the first two innings for the Bears giving up seven runs on seven hits with four walks and a strikeout. Kathleen Bailey pitched well in five innings of relief allowing just one unearned run on three hits with eight strikeouts.
In upcoming action, the Bears head to Framingham State University on Saturday afternoon for a MASCAC twinbill with the Rams. Game one is slated to get underway at one. The Beavers travel to Eastern Connecticut State University on Friday afternoon for a non-conference doubleheader with the Warriors starting at 3:30.
The Beavers pushed across a run in the top of the third as Maya Lacy singled, stole second, moved to third on a sacrifice bunt and scored on Madison Dinaso's two-out RBI single.
Moore doubled to lead off the fourth and advanced to third one out later on a base hit by Morris. Samantha Smith followed with an RBI single up the middle to give Babson a 2-0 lead.
The Beavers took advantage of some shaky BSU defense to tack on two more runs in the fifth. With one out, Dinaso doubled on a misplayed fly ball to right and advanced to third on a ground out. Moore reached on an infield error to score Dinaso and came all the way around from first on an RBI double off the bat of Benoit.
The Bears cut the deficit to 4-1 in the bottom of the sixth. Jocelyn Bettencourt led off the frame with bunt single and Courtney Leddy reached on an infield hit to put runners on first and second with nobody out. Bettencourt advanced to third on a fielder's choice ground out and then tagged up and scored on Jackie Welch's foul out to the catcher.
Ali Reilly went the distance in the circle to earn the win for the Beavers in game two. Reilly (8-9) gave up a run on seven hits with no walks and five strikeouts.
Alexandra Wright allowed four runs (two earned) on eight hits in the setback. Wright fanned four and did not issue a walk. Bailey pitched two scoreless innings of relief.
Dinaso went 3-for-4 with a run and an RBI to highlight the Babson offense in game two, while Smith went 2-for-3 with an RBI.
Leddy was the only Bear with multiple hits in the nightcap as she singled twice in three at bats.
The Bears wrap up MASCAC play on Saturday afternoon (1:00) when they travel to Framingham State University for a pair of games with the Rams. The Beavers head to Eastern Connecticut State University for a non-conference twinbill with the Warriors starting at 3:30.