Softball Splits Non-Conference Twinbill with Wheaton

NORTON, Mass. – The Bridgewater State University softball team spilt a non-conference doubleheader with host Wheaton College on Wednesday evening at Clark Field.\

Wheaton took the first game, 1-0, in nine innings, while the visiting Bears earned the split with a 6-5, six-inning decision in game two.

Wheaton 1, Bridgewater State 0 (nine innings)

Wheaton College sophomore Noelle Christmas (Plymouth, Mass.) tossed a complete game, four-hit shutout and struck out a career-high ten batters in game one.  Christmas, who did not walk anyone, whiffed at least one batter in seven out of the nine innings she pitched and struck out the side once in the third.

BSU junior Amber White (Middleboro, Mass.) took the loss for Bears despite pitching very well.  White gave up one unearned run on five hits in eight-and-two-thirds innings with a walk and three strikeouts.

In the bottom of the ninth, the Lyons walked off with the win on a fielding error with the bases loaded. Senior Megan Roy (North Dighton, Mass.) hit a sharp groundball down the line at third base that was mishandled allowing freshman Erin Deneen (Framingham, Mass.) to score the game-winning run.

Bridgewater State had its best chance to score in the top of the eighth with the bases loaded and no outs. After senior Courtney Gregoire (Dartmouth, Mass.) was placed on second per extra innings rules and junior Jill Welch (Hubbardston, Mass.) and senior Melissa Harmon (Shrewsbury, Mass.) singled, Wheaton junior catcher Ashley Vertente (Fairhaven, Mass.) picked off Gregoire at third base for the first out. Christmas worked her way through the rest of the jam with a strikeout swinging and a pop out to end the threat.

Harmon collected the only multi-hit game for either team with a 2-for-3 showing at the plate.

Bridgewater State 6, Wheaton 5 (six innings)

Bears' senior Meghan Dunn (Colchester, Conn.) earned the win in relief on three innings pitched, four hits, one run (earned), no walks and one strikeout. Junior Chelsie Babcock (Wilmington, Mass.) worked the first three innings giving up three hits, four runs (two earned) and five free passes.

Wheaton junior Allison Baker (Orange, Conn.) tossed three innings, yielded six hits, five runs (three earned), issued one walk and notched one strikeout in the loss.

Senior Jennifer Shaw (Brockton, Mass.) put Bridgewater State on the scoreboard first with an RBI double to left-center field in the opening frame.

The Lyons answered back with two runs in the bottom half as freshmen Madeline Hatch (Acton, Mass.) and Marissa Timoteo (Jupiter, Fla.) drew bases loaded walks.

Wheaton tacked on another run in the second off of a fielding error before the Bears grabbed onto the lead for good with a four-run third inning. Gregoire ripped a run-producing double to right-center field, Welch had an RBI single to right field and two more runs came in to score on a pair of errors for 5-4 advantage.

Down 6-4 in the sixth inning, the Lyons rally fell short with runners on first and second with one out. Dunn induced back-to-back groundouts to finalize the split between both clubs.

Junior Jenna Rocha (Rehoboth, Mass.) went 3-for-9 at the plate with one run scored, two doubles and two runs batted in for the Blue and White. Seniors Alanna Monahan (Dorchester, Mass.) and Renee Laflam (Concord, N.H.) both had two hits apiece in the doubleheader split.

Wheaton (13-9, 3-1 NEWMAC) travels to Babson College on Friday, April 5 for a New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) doubleheader at 3 p.m. Bridgewater State (8-10, 1-1 MASCAC) hosts Fitchburg State University for a conference doubleheader matchup on Saturday, April 6 at noon.