Softball Sweeps Thomas College

KISSIMMEE, Fla. -- The Bridgewater State College softball team swept Thomas College in a doubleheader on Sunday afternoon at Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex in Kissimmee, Florida.

Bridgewater State (3-1) cruised to a 9-1 victory in the opener which went five innings due to the eight-run mercy rule.  The Bears completed the sweep with a 4-1 win in game two.  

In the opener, Bridgewater scored two runs in the first, four more in the third and three in the fifth to come away with the 9-1 win.

Junior Tracey Sanko (Windsor, CT) gave up just one unearned run in three innings to earn the win in her collegiate pitching debut.  Sanko walked one and struck out three.  Senior Jamie Ducinski (Duxbury, MA) hurled the final two innings, walking four and striking out three.

Seniors Lauren Cucinotta (Franklin, MA) and Meghan Noyes (Stoughton, MA), juniors Bridget Engwer (Wrentham, MA) and Kate Youngstrom (Holden, MA), and sophomore Jordan McDermott (East Bridgewater, MA) had two hits apiece to lead the Bears' 14-hit attack.

Youngstrom had a double and three runs batted in while Engwer stole two bases and drove in a pair of runs.  Noyes registered two stolen bases and an RBI, Cucinotta knocked in a run and McDermott also had two steals.

In game two, senior Kaitlin Morelli (Milford, MA) picked up her first win of the season as she allowed a run over four innings.  Freshman Meghan Dunn (Colchester, CT) recorded her first career save as she hurled three shutout innings in relief.  Dunn walked two and struck out four.

Bridgewater was locked in a 1-1 game until the Bears pushed across two runs in the fifth to take a 3-1 lead.  Junior Casey Hill (Randolph, MA) led off the frame with a single and pinch runner Stephanie Burns (North Attleboro, MA) moved to second on a passed ball.  One out later, Sanko drove in Burns with the go ahead run with an RBI single.  After Sanko stole second, McDermott followed with a run scoring single to give BSC the two-run cushion.

The Bears tacked on an insurance run in the top of the seventh as Hill led off the inning with a single, moved to second on passed ball and to third on Sanko's sacrifice bunt.  Hill would come around to score on another passed ball.

Hill went 3-for-3 in game two with a run scored.  She also drove in the Bears' first run of the game with an RBI single in the top of the second.

Engwer went 2-for-3 with a run as she had four hits in the doubleheader.