BRIDGEWATER, Mass. – The Babson College softball team swept a doubleheader with Bridgewater State University on Wednesday afternoon at Alumni Park. The visiting Beavers posted a 3-0 shutout in game one and completed the sweep with a 5-3 victory in game two.
Junior left-hander Kathleen Conway (Simsbury, Conn.) tossed a complete game, two-hit shutout and fanned a season-high 16 batters in the opener. Conway (3-2) recorded at least two strikeouts in each of the seven innings and fanned the side in both the first and sixth innings. She gave up a bunt single in the fourth and an infield hit in the seventh.
Babson broke a scoreless tie with an unearned run in the fourth. Freshman designated player Emily Morris (Wolcott, Conn.) reached second on a dropped fly ball and came around to score on a two-out RBI single by junior third baseman Christa Shorette (Southington, Conn.).
The Beavers added two more runs in the sixth on RBI singles by senior shortstop Catie Funk (Scarborough) and Morris. Funk finished 2-for-3 at the plate in game one with a run and an RBI.
BSU junior right-hander Amber White (Middleboro, Mass.) pitched well in the complete game loss for the Bears. White (3-3) gave up three runs (two earned) on six hits with eight strikeouts and no walks.
In game two, Babson erased a 2-1 deficit with a four-run fifth inning as the Beavers took advantage of some shaky BSU defense.
Babson jumped out on top 1-0 in the first inning as Funk walked with two outs, moved to second on an error and scored on Morris' RBI single.
Bridgewater took a 2-1 lead with a pair of unearned runs in the fourth as senior left fielder Melissa Harmon (Shrewsbury, Mass.) delivered a two-out, two-run single.
The Beavers answered with four runs in the top of the fifth as Bridgewater committed three errors in the frame. Babson loaded the bases on back-to-back singles by senior Jackie Enos (Taunton, Mass.) and freshman Maya Lacy (East Mill Creek, Utah) followed by a walk to Funk. Three consecutive infield ground balls resulted in just one out and three runs as the Bears made two errors in the sequence. Sam Pilkington (Westborough, Mass.) then plated the fourth run of the frame on a sacrifice fly to give the Beavers a 5-2 lead.
Bridgewater answered with a run in the bottom of the frame as freshman first baseman Emily Whitney (Norwood, Mass.) belted her second home run of the season. The Bears then cut the deficit to 5-4 in the sixth as senior third baseman Jennifer Shaw (Brockton, Mass.) led off the frame with a single, moved to second and to third on back-to-back passed balls, and scored on Jessica Laudati's (Berkley, Mass.) RBI single.
Sophomore right-hander Meghan Hayes (Robbinsville, N.J.), who came on in relief of starter Meghan Brain (Pompton Plains, N.J.) to start the sixth, set down the side in order in the seventh to pick up her first save of the season and secure the win for Babson. Brain (1-2) hurled the first five innings allowing three runs (one earned) on four hits and no walks with three punch outs. Hayes gave up one unearned run on two hits with three strikeouts in her two innings of work.
BSU senior righty Meghan Dunn (Colchester, Conn.) went the distance in the circle for the Bears in game two. Dunn (1-5) allowed five runs, only one of which was earned, on seven hits with three walks and three strikeouts.
Enos and Lacy led the Beavers' seven-hit attack with two hits apiece.
Both teams open conference play on Friday afternoon. The Bears (4-8) travel to Westfield State University for a noontime Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) doubleheader, while the Beavers (7-5) head to Wellesley College for a three o'clock New England Women's & Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) twinbill.