BUZZARDS BAY, Mass. – The visiting Bridgewater State University softball team swept a Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) doubleheader against Massachusetts Maritime Academy on Tuesday afternoon at Rollins Field. Bridgewater won the opener, 11-0, and completed the sweep with a 14-4 victory in game two. Both games went just five innings due to the eight-run mercy rule.

The Bears improve to 8-15 on the season and 5-1 in the MASCAC, while the host Buccaneers fall to 0-14 overall and 0-6 in conference play.

Game One

BSU freshman pitcher Laura Hatch (Middleboro, Mass.) tossed a complete game shutout in game one to record her first collegiate win. Hatch (1-3) scattered five hits, did not issue a walk and fanned one.

Junior Shannon Grindle (Halifax, Mass.) paced the Bears' offense as she went 3-for-4 with a home run, a double, two runs scored and four runs batted in. Grindle's two-run blast in the top of the second inning marked her second home run of the season and the 13th of her career.

Bridgewater State scored five runs on five hits in the top of the first, tacked on two more on Grindle's homer in the second, and pushed across four runs on three hits in the fourth. The Bears banged out 12 hits in the contest and took advantage of five Maritime errors as the six of the runs were unearned.

Junior Meghan Navarro (Taunton, Mass.) also connected for three hits in game one for the visitors. Navarro was 3-for-4 at the plate with two runs and an RBI. Freshman Alexandra Taylor (Hebron, Conn.) and senior Kacie Carvalho (Fairhaven, Mass.) each went 1-for-3 and knocked in two runs apiece.

Junior Jenna Nalette (Goffstown, N.H.) allowed 11 runs, only five of which were earned, on 12 hits in the setback for the Buccaneers.  Nalette (0-5) also walked one and recorded a strikeout.

Junior Madison Ovadek (Greenland, N.H.) went 2-for-2 with a pair of singles to lead the Maritime offense.

Game Two

Seven different players finished with two hits apiece to lead the Bears to a 14-4 victory in game two and a sweep of the twinbill.

Bridgewater recorded 15 hits in the nightcap and again took advantage of five MMA errors. The Bears scored in every inning as they pushed across three runs in the first, two in the second, four in both the third and fourth innings, and one in the fifth.

Hatch went 2-for-4 with a triple, two runs and three RBI, while junior Samantha Mulcahy (Taunton, Mass.) doubled, singled and walked, scored two runs and drove in two in four plate appearances. Senior Jenny Heller (Taunton, Mass.) was 2-for-4 at the plate and belted her team-leading third home run of the season. Heller scored two runs.

Senior Rebecca Uschmann (Feeding Hills, Mass.) went 2-for-3 with a walk and two runs, while classmate Courtney Gouveia (Taunton, Mass.) singled twice in four at bats and knocked in a run, and sophomore Alexandra Ruprecht (Kingston, Mass.) went 2-for-4 with a run and two RBI. Freshman Emma Healy (Plymouth, Mass.) rounded out the Bears' multiple hit producers as she was 2-for-3 with a run and an RBI.

Freshman pitcher Katherine Ryan (Mendon, Mass.) picked up her first collegiate win in the circle for Bridgewater State. Ryan (1-3) allowed four runs (three earned) on two hits with four walks and three strikeouts in the complete game effort.

Freshman Malarie Pittsley (Dighton, Mass.) gave up 14 runs (ten earned) on 15 hits in the setback for the Buccaneers. Pittsley (0-6) walked three and fanned one. She also went 1-for-2 at the plate with a two-run double and a walk to highlight the Maritime offense in game two.

In upcoming action, the Bears travel to Curry College on Thursday for a three o'clock non-conference doubleheader with the Colonels. The Buccaneers head to MCLA on Saturday for a one o'clock MASCAC twinbill with the Trailblazers.