Game One Box Score | Game Two Box Score
BRIDGEWATER, Mass. - The Bridgewater State College softball team swept a doubleheader with Babson College on Thursday afternoon at BSC's Alumni Park. The Bears won the opening game, 4-3, and completed the sweep with another 4-3 victory in game two.
With the win, the Bears improve to 13-3 on the season, while the loss drops Babson to 8-8.
In the opener, the Bears scored all four of their runs in the third inning and held on for the 4-3 win.
Senior right-hander Alyssa Verronneau (Acushnet, MA) picked up the win as she allowed two runs (one earned) on two hits in 4 1/3 innings of work. Verronneau (5-1) also walked four and struck out two.
Junior right-hander Jamie Ducinski (Duxbury, MA) earned her third save of the season as she allowed one run on one hit in 2 2/3 innings of relief. Ducinski walked three and struck out one.
Sophomore Bridgett Engwer (Wrentham, MA) led off the third inning with a base hit and moved to second on a bunt single by fellow sophomore Tracey Sanko (Windsor, CT). Engwer would advance to third as the catcher threw wildly to first after fielding Sanko's bunt. Sophomore Heather McPherson (Mansfield, MA) drove in Engwer from third with a line single off the pitcher's glove and senior Allie LeBlanc (Somerset, MA) followed with a two-run double. Senior Rachael Sprague (Duxbury, MA) plated LeBlanc with the Bears' fourth run of the innings with another double.
Babson plated a pair of runs in the fifth as junior Michelle Bolduc (Darien, CT) reached on an error to lead off the inning. After a walk to pinch hitter Laura Douglas (Greenwich, CT) and a fly out, freshman Kayla Davis (Gardner, MA) roped a double to the gap in right-center field to drive in both runners. Ducinski came on in relief and got the final two outs of the inning to avoid any further damage.
A Kaitlyn Clark (Ramsey, NJ) sole home run in the seventh inning with one out pulled the Beavers to within a run at 4-3. Babson had runners at first and second with two away, but Ducinski was able to induce a one-hop ground out back to the circle to end the game.
Sanko, Engwer and junior Lauren Cucinotta (Franklin, MA) each finished 2-for-3 in game one while McPherson went 2-for-4.
Sophomore Caroline Barr (Wilmington, MA) suffered the loss in the circle for the Beavers. Barr (1-4) allowed four runs on ten hits with a walk and four strikeouts.
In game two, the Bears erased a 3-0 first inning deficit with four runs in the bottom half of the inning.
Senior right-hander Stephanie Pierce (Worcester, MA) came on in relief in the top of the first inning after the first four batters of the game reached safely. Pierce would allow two inherited runners to score on a pair of bases loaded walks but averted any major damage by striking out three in the inning.
In the bottom half of the first, Sanko and McPherson set the table once again with back-to-back singles. LeBlanc then pulled the Bears to within a run with a two-run double to the ally in left-center field. With two outs and LeBlanc at third, Cucinotta singled in the hole between short and third to tie the game up at 3-3. Cucinotta came all the way around from first with go ahead run on an RBI single by freshman Shanna Lathrop (Hopedale, MA).
Pierce (5-2) gave up just two hits in 5 2/3 innings of work as she walked four and struck out eight.
Verronneau picked up her first save of the season as she came on with the bases loaded and two outs in the top of the sixth and got out of the jam with an inning ending ground out. Verronneau would retire the Beavers in order in the seventh to give BSC the 4-3 win and a sweep of the doubleheader.
Sanko finished 4-for-4 in game two with three stolen bases and a run scored. Sanko is 20-for-21 in stolen base attempts this season and has hit safely in each of the last 11 games.
LeBlanc went 2-for-4 with the two-run double, while McPherson also had two hits in four at bats. LeBlanc has 27 runs batted in over the first 16 games of the season for the Bears.
Freshman Lauren Gonsky (Long Valley, NJ) went the first three innings for Babson giving up four runs on nine hits with three strikeouts. Barr hurled three shutout innings in relief as she allowed three hits and struck out two.
Freshman Morgan Sprague (Clifton Park, NY) went 2-for-4 and scored a run for the Beavers.
Bridgewater State travels to Salem State College on Saturday to take on the Lady Vikings in a MASCAC doubleheader. Game one gets underway at noon. Babson hosts Wheaton College in a NEWMAC doubleheader on Friday starting at 3:30 PM.