By Jim Fenton
BRIDGEWATER, Mass. -- The Bridgewater State University softball team swept a non-conference doubleheader from Vermont State Lyndon on Monday.
The Bears defeated the Hornets by 4-0 scores in both games at Alumni Park as BSU pitchers limited the visitors to a combined six hits in the twinbill.
Olyvia Mendonca (Taunton, Mass.) pitched a three-hit shutout in the opener and McKayla Cusack (West Haven, Conn.) matched that to defeat Vermont State in the nightcap.
It marks the first time BSU has recorded two shutouts in a doubleheader since it did so on April 15, 2021, defeating Salem State University at home, 10-0, in five innings and 3-0.
The Bears are 10-10 with three straight wins while the Hornets are 4-7 after the teams met for the first time.
Game One: Bridgewater State 4, Vermont State Lyndon 0
Mendonca, a transfer from Framingham State, pitched her first shutout for the Bears. It was the program's first shutout since a 2-0 win over Worcester State last April 28.
Mendonca allowed just three hits and struck out three to improve to 3-1. The Hornets managed two hits by Ann Watkins (Los Angeles, Calif.) in the third and fifth innings and a fifth-inning single by Seairra Anderson (Somersworth, N.H.).
BSU took a 2-0 lead in the first inning as Emily Marcotte (North Dighton, Mass.) reached on an error, advanced on a single to right by Makayla Ansell (Manifee, Calif.) and scored on a double to left-center by Janet Jolly (Raynham, Mass.).
Ansell scored the second run of the inning on a sacrifice fly by Victoria Becker (Abington, Mass.).
The lead went to 3-0 in the second inning as Katie Tobin (Chestnut Hill, Mass.) reached on an infield hit, went to second on a groundout, to third on a bunt single by Marcotte and scored on Ansell's single to left.
The final run came in the sixth inning when Riley Fitzgerald (Swansea, Mass.) singled to right, was sacrificed to second by Kyleah Plumb (Taunton, Mass.), went to third on an error and scored on a sacrifice fly to right by Mendonca.
Ansell (2-for-3) was the lone BSU player with more than one hit while Watkins was 2-for-2 for the Hornets.
Losing pitcher Victoria Valentine (East Burke, Vt.) had five strikeouts and allowed one earned run in six full innings.
Game Two: Bridgewater State 4, Vermont State Lyndon 0
Cusack, a junior, recorded her first shutout since an 8-0 win over Salem State on April 15, 2022.
She struck out six during her shutout with the Hornets getting a second-inning single from Saleena Porter (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) and fourth-inning singles from Valentine and Bailey Quire (Gainseville, Fla.).
Cusack set down the final 10 batters she faced to improve to 2-2.
BSU had 10 hits with Jolly (double, triple), Fitzgerald and Sydney Schaefer (Swarthmore, Pa.) getting two apiece.
The Bears opened the scoring in the first when Jolly hit a two-out triple to right-center and scored on a single to right-center by Schaefer.
BSU added two runs in the third with Jolly doubling to left and scoring on an outfield error. Fitzgerald made it 3-0 with a single to right.
The final run came in the sixth inning when Katie Tobin (Chestnut Hill, Mass.) reached on an infield hit and pinch runner Savanah DuBois (New Bedford, Mass.) moved into scoring position by stealing second.
A bunt single by Marcotte moved DuBois to third and an infield hit by Ansell scored the run.
BSU will be at home Tuesday at 3 p.m. to resume a doubleheader against Salem State that was halted by rain on Saturday.
The Bears hold a 9-7 lead with two outs in the top of the sixth in the opener.
Notes: Marcotte has 98 hits in her career. However, she will jump up to 100 once game one of the Salem doubleheader is completed as she recorded two hits in the opener.