By Jim Fenton

BRIDGEWATER, Mass. -- The Bridgewater State University softball team split a non-conference doubleheader with Suffolk University on Wednesday.

The Bears were shut down by Cynthia Rucinski (Milltown, N.J.) in the opener, 1-0, before edging the Rams, 6-5, in the second game, which was halted after 4 1/2 innings because of darkness at Alumni Park.

The teams had only played once before on March 21, 2008, in Kissimmee, Fla.

BSU is now 15-12 and will host Worcester State University in a doubleheader on Saturday at 12:30 p.m.

Suffolk is 15-17 and has a home doubleheader Saturday at noon against Wentworth Institute of Technology.

Game One: Suffolk 1, Bridgewater State 0

Rucinski, a freshman, pitched her first collegiate shutout, striking out eight and walking two to improve to 6-8.

BSU had a runner on second in the second inning and Angelina Lynch (Taunton, Mass.) reached third in the third inning on a single, sacrifice bunt and stolen base.

The Bears put runners at first and second in the fourth and had the tying run at third in the seventh inning.

Riley Fitzgerald (Swansea, Mass.) reached on an error, went to second on a wild pitch and was sacrificed to third by Savanah DuBois (New Bedford, Mass.). But she was out at home on a fielder's choice.

Suffolk scored the lone run in the third inning when Diana Rucinski (Milltown, N.J.) tripled for her first extra-base hit and scored on a wild pitch.

Sydney Schaefer (Swarthmore, Pa.) had two of the Bears' three hits.

Olivia Hargreaves (Weare, N.H.) fell to 4-3, striking out six for BSU in the complete game effort. The lone Suffolk hits were by Maddie Southers (Mystic, Conn.), Lily Gustafson (Halifax, Mass.), Diana Rucinski and Bella Rocha-Medeiros (Acushnet, Mass.).

Game Two: Bridgewater State 6, Suffolk 5

The Bears had only five hits but scored in all four innings to gain the split.

The Rams opened the scoring in the top of the first as Catherine Carignan (Litchfield, N.H.) had an infield hit, went to second on a wild pitch, to third on a groundout and came home on a groundout by Becky Zellin (Danvers, Mass.).

BSU took a 3-1 lead in the bottom of the first. Emily Marcotte (North Dighton, Mass.) bunted for a hit, Makayla Ansell (Menifee, Calif.) reached on an error and Schaefer walked to load the bases.

Fitzgerald singled up the middle to tie the game, and fielder's choices by Kyleah Plumb (Taunton, Mass.) and Lily Gioiosa (Dartmouth, Mass.) brought in runs.

Suffolk tied the game in the second on a two-run single to center with two outs by Carignan after singles by Delaney Doidge (Cranston, R.I.) and Julia Mills (Westborough, Mass.).

BSU went back in front, 4-3, in the second when Schaefer walked with the bases loaded, and the lead was 5-3 in the third as Olyvia Mendonca (Taunton, Mass.) hit a sacrifice fly, scoring Gioiosa.

The teams exchanged runs in the fourth with Zellin delivering an RBI single up the middle for Suffolk and Plumb producing an infield hit that scored Schaefer.

The scoring concluded in the fifth when Doidge homered to left field.

Mendonca improved to 6-1, picking up the win with 2 2/3 innings of relief as she allowed two runs and two hits.

Victoria Becker (Abington, Mass.) was the lone BSU player with two hits while Plumb drove in a pair of runs.

Carignan had two hits and two RBI and Doidge had two hits for the Rams.