BRIDGEWATER, Mass. – The Bridgewater State University softball team opened the Massachusetts State Collegiate Conference (MASCAC) schedule with a doubleheader split against Salem State University on Saturday afternoon at Alumni Park.

The host Bears (10-10, 1-1 MASCAC) won the first game, 9-1, in six innings, while the visiting Vikings (6-10, 1-1 MASCAC) earned the split with an 8-7 victory in game two.

In the opener, Morgan Cox (Dennis Port, Mass.) went 4-for-4 at the plate including her first career home run as she scored two runs and drove in four. Cox belted a two-run homer in the fifth inning to stake the Bears to a 6-1 lead. She also added an RBI single in the first and a walk-off RBI base hit in the sixth.

Kelly McCarthy (Burlington, Mass.) went the distance in the circle allowing a run on two hits with four walks and five strikeouts.

The Bears jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the bottom of the first as they banged out five hits in the frame and took advantage of a pair of Salem State errors. Cox, Jenny Heller (Taunton, Mass.) and Kristyna Flaherty (Burlington, Mass.) had RBI singles in the inning.

After the Vikings cut the deficit to 4-1 in the third, Cox launched a two-run blast over the leftfield fence to make it a 6-1 game in the fifth. The Bears ended the game early with a three-run sixth inning capped off by Cox's RBI single.

Flaherty also finished with multiple hits for the Bears as she went 2-for-3. McCarthy was 1-for-3 at the plate with a double, two runs and two RBI.

In game two, the Vikings trailed 5-3 after four innings of play but rallied for three runs in the sixth and two more in the seventh to come away with the 8-7 win.

After both team plated two runs in the first, Salem jumped ahead 3-2 on Rebecca Krigman's (Malden, Mass.) RBI double in the fourth.

Bridgewater responded with three runs in the bottom of the fourth to take a 5-3 lead highlighted by a two-run double by Heller.

The score remained 5-3 until the top of the sixth. A dropped fly ball with two outs resulted in the Vikings' first run of the frame. Jess Raymond (Peabody, Mass.) followed with a two-run single to center to put the visitors on top, 6-5.

A two-out, RBI single by Karissa Pagan (Brockton, Mass.) knotted the score at 6-6 in the home half of the sixth.

A key fielding error helped the Vikings take a 7-6 lead in the top of the seventh as Marisa Sanchez (Framingham, Mass.), who walked to lead off the frame, ultimately came around to score on a wild pitch. Krigman added an RBI single to extend the visitor's advantage to 8-6.

McCarthy belted a solo home run with two outs in the bottom of the seventh to account for the final tally of 8-7.

Lleish Burney (Bristol, Conn.) went the distance in the circle to pick up her fifth win of the season. Burney (5-4) gave up seven runs (four earned) on eight hits with three walks and a pair of strikeouts.

McCarthy got the start in game two for the Bears, but did not figure in the decision. She allowed six runs, only two of which were earned, on seven hits with three walks and two strikeouts. Kathleen Bailey (Bayport, N.Y.) suffered the loss in an inning and a third of relief. Bailey (1-4) gave up two unearned runs on a hit and two walks with two strikeouts.

Jen Crovo (Melrose, Mass.), Bobbie Dee Regan (Lynn, Mass.) and Krigman finished with two hits apiece to lead the Vikings' eight-hit attack.

McCarthy continued her hot hitting as she went 2-for-3 with two runs and two RBI. Cassidy Morrow (Dighton, Mass.) also finished with two hits in three at bats.

Both teams are back in action tomorrow afternoon. The Bears travel to Westfield State University for a noontime game with the Owls, while the Vikings entertain the Trailblazers of MCLA.