NORTH ADAMS, Mass. -- Kelly McCarthy tossed a pair of complete game victories to lead the visiting Bridgewater State University softball team to a doubleheader sweep of MCLA in Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) action on Sunday afternoon.
The Bears won the opener by a score of 5-1 and completed the sweep with an 8-0, six-inning shutout victory in game two.
Bridgewater improves to 19-13 overall and sit at 7-3 in the MASCAC standing. MCLA is now 11-17 overall and 5-5 in league play.
In the opener, both teams scored runs in the second inning. Courtney Leddy's single to center scored Cassidy Morrow for a BSU 1-0 advantage. MCLA wouldn't take long to respond however, as Jenn Sicinski came around to score on a Bear miscue tying the game at 1-1.
The score would remain that way as McCarthy and MCLA starter Rachel Quackenbush would put up zeroes into the fifth inning when BSU would score the eventual game winner. McCarthy helped out her own cause by drilling an RBI double to left scoring Leddy for a 2-1 advantage.
MCLA would squander a chance to tie it in the fifth when the first two batters reached base. A flyout to right field would move Quackenbush to third base putting runners on the corners with just one out. McCarthy, however, induced back-to-back ground outs by Michaela Dinicola and Abby Lucas to end the threat.
The Bears would extend the lead in the seventh inning scoring three times to put the game away. Morrow had a two run single to highlight the surge. McCarthy set down MCLA in order in the bottom half of the inning to end it.
The Bears outhit MCLA 12-5 in the contest as Leddy went 3-5 to pace the BSU offense. Kristyna Flaherty, Morgan Cox, and Kacie Carvalho all had two hits on the day. McCarthy went the distance allowing just one unearned run on five hits and notching four strikeouts.
Quackenbush (6-8) took the loss also going the distance for MCLA. She allowed the 12 hits and collected six strikeouts on the afternoon. Of the five runs allowed, only two were earned. Angelica Perfido was the lone Trailblazer with two hits.
In the nightcap, the game was scoreless after three innings of play. The Bears would break it open scoring seven times in the fourth inning against MCLA starter Kate Henault and Quackenbush.
Cox's RBI single started the scoring and Karissa Pagan followed suit with an RBI base knock of her own. Morrow, Carvalho, and Leddy all had consecutive run scoring singles in the frame while Tara McCann would cap the inning with a two-run base hit to center field.
The run support was plenty for McCarthy (16-5) in game two as she allowed just four hits in recording her sixth shutout of the season. She rarely pitched in trouble and the Bears added another run in the sixth on a passed ball to earn the mercy rule victory.
Pagan had three hits in the nightcap to pace the Bears while Carvalho and McCann each ended with two.
Henault (5-9) took the loss for MCLA allowing two runs on three hits in 3 1/3 innings of work. Quackenbush struggled in relief as she gave up six runs (two earned) on eight hits and a walk in 2 2/3 innings.
Both teams are back in action on Tuesday afternoon with MASCAC doubleheaders. MCLA hosts Westfield State University at two, while Bridgewater entertains Mass. Maritime Academy at 3:30.