Softball Drops Pair of Games to Babson College

Game One Box Score | Game Two Box Score 

BABSON PARK, Mass. - Senior Jess Byrn (Safety Harbor, FL) went 3-for-7 with two runs and two RBIs at the plate while also recording two victories on the mound as host Babson College swept a non-conference softball doubleheader with visiting Bridgewater State College on Thursday afternoon. The Beavers (9-7) won game one by a score of 3-1 and then edged the Bears (5-7) by a count of 4-3 in the nightcap.

Game one was a pitchers' duel between Byrn and BSC junior Alyssa Verronneau (Acushnet, MA), with Babson taking an early 1-0 lead when junior Kaitlyn Clark (Ramsey, N.J.) drove in Byrn with a double to left center in the bottom of the first. The Beavers then plated an unearned run off Verronneau in the third, as first-year Nicole Giuliano (North Reading, MA) reached on an error, stole second, moved to third on another defensive miscue, and scored on a double-steal attempt that resulted in the Bears' third error of the inning.

Bridgewater State finally broke through against Byrn in the top of the fourth, as senior Ciana Godin (Worcester, MA) singled in rookie pinch-runner Bridget Engwer (Wrentham, MA), who had entered the game after senior Nicole Hebert (Taunton, MA) singled to start the inning. However, that would be all the Bears' offense would muster against Babson's senior righthander, as she shut the visitors out over the final three frames to secure the win. Senior co-captain Jess Cohen (Pittsford, NY) tacked on an insurance run when she blasted her first homer of the season in the sixth as the Beavers came away with the 3-1 victory.

Byrn allowed just one run on seven hits while striking out three to earn the win, while Verronneau gave up three runs - two of which were earned - on seven hits. The BSC junior also fanned three in the loss, which dropped her record to 3-3 on the year. First-year Jess Winer (Longmeadow, MA) paced the Babson offense in the opener, going 2-for-2.

Game two was a back-and-forth affair, with the Bears grabbing an early lead in the second when sophomore Allie LeBlanc (Somerset, MA) singled, moved to second on a sac bunt, advanced to third on a bunt hit by senior Danielle Trull-Donahue (Stoughton, Mass.), and scored on Godin's second run-scoring hit of the day.

Babson jumped ahead, 2-1, with two runs in the bottom of the third, as Byrn doubled in junior Courtney Thurston (Taunton, MA) and later scored on a double off the center field wall by Giuliano. The lead would be short-lived, however, as Trull-Donahue launched her first home run of the year over the wall in left in the fourth, scoring LeBlanc and giving Bridgewater State a 3-2 advantage.

Giuliano once again helped the Beavers rally in the bottom of the fifth, as she drilled a two-out triple down the line in right and then scored on a critical Bears' error to even the contest at 3-3. Babson then regained the lead the following inning, as first-year Meg Cyr (Woodbury, CT) doubled to left with one out, moved to third on a sacrifice by Thurston, and trotted home on a huge two-out single to center by Byrn that gave the Beavers a 4-3 lead.

After coming on in the top of the fifth, Byrn tossed her third scoreless inning of relief in the seventh to clinch the 4-3 victory. It was her second win of the afternoon, improving her season record to 6-3. Rookie starter Caroline Barr (Wilmington, MA) started and gutted out four solid innings for Babson, surrendering only three runs despite giving up eight hits and a walk.

Sophomore lefty Jillian Vancelette (Charlton City, MA) started and went 5 1/3 innings for Bridgewater State, allowing three earned runs on seven hits to fall to 1-2. Verronneau came on in the sixth to get the final two outs, giving up one hit. LeBlanc and first-year Meghan Noyes (Stoughton, MA) each recorded three hits for the Bears in game two, while Byrn and Giuliano added two hits apiece for Babson.

Release courtesy of Babson College