Softball Splits Twinbill with Wheaton

BRIDGEWATER, Mass. – The Bridgewater State University softball team split a non-conference doubleheader with visiting Wheaton College on Tuesday afternoon at Alumni Park.  The Lyons posted a 2-1 win in the opener, while the host Bears earned the split with a 3-0 victory in game two.

The Bears are now 11-3 on the season while the Lyons' record stands at 5-7.

In game two, sophomore right-hander Amber White (Middleboro, Mass.) tossed a complete-game, two-hit shutout, while senior Penny King (Hanover, Mass.) and junior Melissa Harmon (Shrewsbury, Mass.) each belted home runs to lead Bridgewater to the win.

White struck out seven and walked two to pick up her sixth win of the season (6-1) as well as her second shutout.

King staked the Bears to a 1-0 lead in the second when she connected for her first four-bagger of the season and eighth of her career on a shot down the left-field line.  Harmon plated the second run of the game on a sacrifice fly in the fourth and then drilled her first career homer over the scoreboard in left field to give BSU the 3-0 lead.

Juniors Jordan McDermott (East Bridgewater, Mass.) and Jennifer Shaw (Brockton, Mass.) paced the Bears' nine-hit attack in the nightcap as they notched two hits apiece.  Shaw also walked as she reached safely in all three of her at bats.

Sophomore right-hander Allison Baker (Orange, Mass.) suffered the loss in the circle for the visitors in game two.  Baker allowed two runs on six hits over four innings with one strikeout.

In the opener, Baker (4-6) limited the Bears to one run and scattered six hits in the complete game victory.  She struck out eight batters, did not walk anyone, and threw an economical 76 pitchers, 64 of which were strikes.

Wheaton took a 1-0 lead in the top of the third on a lead-off triple by junior Amanda Drury (Tolland, Conn.) followed by a sacrifice fly off the bat of sophomore Jenna Rocha (Rehoboth, Mass.). Drury finished with a pair of hits in three at bats to lead the Lyons offensively in game one.

The Bears tied the score at 1-1 in the bottom of the fourth on a pinch hit RBI single by sophomore Jasmyn McCone (Taunton, Mass.).  Shaw led off the frame with a double, moved to third on a sacrifice bunt and scored on McCone's base hit up the middle.

The Lyons pushed across the winning run in the sixth as junior Alanna Monahan (Dorchester, Mass.) walked to lead off the inning and moved to second on a single by classmate Renee Laflam (Concord, N.H.).  After a sacrifice bunt moved the runners to second and third, sophomore Ashley Brillon (Attleboro, Mass.) roped a single up the middle to score Monahan from third.  

Junior Meghan Dunn (Colchester, Conn.) pitched well in the loss for the Bears.  Dunn (5-2) gave up just two runs on seven hits over 6 1/3 innings of work with three walks and two strikeouts.

The Bears are off until next Tuesday (March 27) when the host UMass Boston in a non-conference doubleheader starting at 3:00 PM.  Wheaton entertains Lesley University in a twinbill on Thursday afternoon with game one getting underway at three.