WESTFIELD, Mass. – Freshman designated hitter Jennifer Galavotti had four RBI and delivered the game-winning hits in both games, including a two-run eighth-inning home run in the nightcap, to lead Bridgewater State to a 3-0, 3-1 doubleheader sweep of Westfield State in Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) softball on Saturday, April 5.
The Bears, who also received strong pitching performances in both games from senior ace Amber White, improved to 14-8 overall and 4-0 in the MASCAC. Bridgewater has won seven of the last eight games. Westfield is 7-6 and 0-2.
In the extra-inning game, Galavotti smashed a towering two-run circuit shot several feet inside the left field foul pole for her game-winning blow.
Freshman third baseman Tara McCann, who led off the eighth inning with a ringing double off the left field fence, gave the Bears a 1-0 first-inning lead when she crushed a home run over the left field fence.
Westfield knotted the score at 1-1 in the bottom of the third. Freshman Emma Dunbar lined a one-out single to the right-center gap and advanced to second on a groundout. She scored on Amanda Flower's bloop single to center field.
White hurled the final four frames in the second game for the pitching victory. She fanned five and walked one in relief.
White went the distance in the opener, allowing two hits and no walks and striking out three in the shutout victory. The shutout marked her 20th in three seasons with the Bears.
Galavotti's game-winning hit in the first game was a wicked two-run single down the right field line in the fourth inning. The Bears tacked on a run in the fifth on McMann's RBI single.
For the day, McMann was 3 for 7 with three runs scored and two RBI; she was 2 for 4 with two runs scored in the nightcap. Catcher Jill Welch was 3 for 4 with a double in game two.
Dunbar and Kelsey Carpenter both had two singles for four of Westfield's six hits in the second game.
Kelley Fluet (7 hits, 2 earned runs, 0 walks, 1 strikeout) was the losing pitcher in the opener. Emily Mailloux (9 hits, 1 walk, 6 strikeouts) suffered the game two setback.