By Jim Fenton

BRIDGEWATER, Mass. -- The Bridgewater State University softball team dropped to the .500 mark after losing a doubleheader to the University of Massachusetts Boston.

The Bears had a combined 10 hits in the two games as they were defeated by the Beacons, 10-0, in five innings and 7-3, at Alumni Park Friday afternoon.

BSU is now 8-8 with three straight losses while UMass Boston improved to 17-1.

The Beacons had won their first 15 games before losing to Framingham State University, 3-0, on Tuesday.

Game One: UMass Boston 10, Bridgewater State 0 (5 Inn.)

The Beacons struck for first runs in the top of the first inning, then scored in three of the next four innings to win the opener.

Sophomore Makayla Ansell (Menifee, Calif.) had two hits, including a double, to lead the BSU offense. The Bears had six hits, also getting singles from senior Emily Marcotte (North Dighton, Mass.), junior Angelina Lynch (Taunton, Mass.), junior Olyvia Mendonca (Taunton, Mass.) and sophomore Sidney Schwartz (Chelmsford, Mass.).

Graduate student Bri Melchionda (Marshfield, Mass.) went 3-for-3 and freshman Izzy Levasseur (Amesbury, Mass.) was 2-for-2 for the Beacons. Melchionda and Levasseur combined to drive in five of the 10 runs.

In the first, sophomore Hayley Krockta (Taunton, Mass.) drove in one run with a single, and another scored on an error on the play. Melchionda had an RBI double and Levasseur drove in two with a double for the 5-0 lead.

UMass Boston went up, 7-0, in the third on a sacrifice fly by Levasseur and a single by sophomore Ella Delisle (Amesbury, Mass.).

The Beacons scored two more in the fourth with Melchionda getting an RBI single and another coming home on a throw while Levasseur doubled in the fifth and scored on a groundout.

Senior Alexis Fleischer (San Diego, Calif.) had two strikeouts and improved to 3-0 for the Beacons while Mendonca fell to 2-2 for the Bears.

Game Two: UMass Boston 7, Bridgewater State 3

The Bears managed just four hits, getting three of them in a three-run third inning.

UMass Boston built an early 5-0 lead, scoring three in the first and two in the second.

A sacrifice fly by Melchionda brought in the first round, a groundout made it 2-0 and a triple to right-center by freshman Mary Matthews (Wilsonville, Ore.) added another run.

In the second, Melchionda had a two-run double down the right-field line with two outs.

BSU closed within 5-3 in the third against winning pitcher Jacqueline Cherry (Franklin, Mass.).

Sophomore Lily Gagnon (East Haven, Conn.) singled up the middle and was sacrificed to second by Marcotte. Ansell singled and graduate student Janet Jolly (Raynham, Mass.) was hit by a pitch to load the bases.

With two outs, Lynch singled in two runs, and an error scored Jolly to cut the deficit to two.

But the Beacons scored two more in the sixth inning with junior Amaya Rodriguez (Indio, Calif.) doubling in one and graduate student Haley Tilberry (Moosic, Pa.) adding a sacrifice fly.

Sophomore Olivia Hargreaves (Weare, N.H.) went six innings for BSU and took the loss with senior McKayla Cusack (West Haven, Conn.) working the final inning.

The Bears did not get a hit in the final three innings following a leadoff single in the fourth by senior Amelia Blake (Raynham, Mass.).

BSU has a MASCAC doubleheader Sunday at noon at Salem State University. The games were originally slated for Saturday but were moved due to the impending weather.

UMass Boston hosts Rhode Island College in a twinbill on Sunday at 2 p.m.