BRIDGEWATER, Mass. – The Bridgewater State University softball team swept a Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) doubleheader on Sunday afternoon at Alumni Park. Bridgewater won the first game, 1-0, and completed the sweep with a 7-4 victory in the nightcap.
The Bears improve to 12-8 on the season and 4-6 in the MASCAC, while the Trailblazers fall to 5-22 overall and 2-8 in conference play.
In game one, sophomore Mackenzie Holt (Gilroy, Calif.) tossed a complete game shutout and the Bears won the game on a walk-off walk with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning.
Holt (2-6), who retired the first 15 batters she faced, scattered four hits, did not issue a walk and struck out five. The shutout marked her first of the season.
In the bottom of the seventh, the Bears loaded the bases with nobody out on three successive singles by seniors Jackie Welch (Hubbardston, Mass.), Samantha LoPilato (Medford, Mass.) and Breanna Shaffer (Plainville, Mass.). After line out to short and a shallow fly out to left, freshman Shannon Grindle (Halifax, Mass.) walked on a 3-2 pitch to force in sophomore pinch runner Alexandra Zoebisch (Plymouth, Mass.) with the game-winning run.
Freshman Morgan Watson (Portland, Ore.) pitched well in the complete game setback for the visitors. Watson (2-9) allowed just the one run on eight hits with three walks and three strikeouts.
Shaffer paced the Bears' eight-hit attack as she went 2-for-3 with a walk.
In game two, MCLA jumped out to a 3-0 advantage in the top of the first inning as the Trailblazers took advantage of a dropped pop-up which allowed the last two runs to score.
Bridgewater answered with four runs in the bottom half of the inning. A two-run single by Grindle made it a 3-2 game before a key throwing error opened the door for a pair of unearned runs and a 4-3 BSU lead.
The Bears extended their lead to 5-3 in the second as Grindle singled home junior Kacie Carvalho (Fairhaven, Mass.) from third. Carvalho reached on an error with one out and moved to third on a base hit by senior Courtney Leddy (Saugus, Mass.).
A two-run double by Welch in the bottom of the sixth made it a 7-3 game.
MCLA rallied for a run in the seventh on an RBI single off the bat of sophomore Kaitlyn Berghela (Watervliet, N.Y.). The Trailblazers loaded the bases with nobody out and had the tying run on first and the go-ahead run at the plate, but were unable to come up with the big hit as BSU right-hander Kathleen Bailey (Bayport, N.Y.) worked out of the jam.
Bailey (8-10) went the distance in the circle to record her eighth win of the season. She allowed four runs (two earned) on four hits with five walks and four strikeouts.
MCLA rookie pitcher Kara Adams (Valley Falls, N.Y.) was tagged with loss in relief of Watson who started the game but did not get out of the first inning. Adams (3-9) gave up four runs (one earned) on eight hits in 5 2/3 innings of work with three walks and a pair of strikeouts.
Grindle finished 3-for-4 at the plate in game two with a run and two RBI. Carvalho also went 3-for-4 with a pair of runs scored, while Shaffer was 2-for-4 as the trio combined for eight of the Bears' ten hits. Welch (1-for-3) knocked in three runs in the nightcap as she added a sacrifice fly to her two-run double.
Berghela was the only Trailblazer with multiple hits as she went 2-for-3 with a walk, run and an RBI.
The MASCAC schedule continues for both teams on Tuesday afternoon. The Bears travel to Mass. Maritime Academy to take on the Buccaneers with game one getting underway at 3:30. The Trailblazers head to Westfield State University for a pair of game with the Owls beginning at two.
Notes: LoPilato's base hit in game one marked the 100th hit of her career....After the doubleheader, the Bears' held their annual Senior Day festivities as Bailey, Leddy, LoPilato, Shaffer, Welch and Morgan Cox (Dennis Port, Mass.) were all honored as well as team manager Brittany Cullinane (Lunenburg, Mass.).