Softball Sweeps MASCAC Twinbill with Mass. Maritime

BUZZARDS BAY, Mass. --  Sophomore Kelly McCarthy (Burlington, Mass.) rapped out four hits and drove in seven runs to lead Bridgewater State to a sweep of a Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) softball doubleheader from Massachusetts Maritime by scores of 6-2 in the opener and 21-0 in a five inning nightcap in games played Tuesday afternoon at Alison Rollins Field.

The visiting Bears (15-7, 5-3 MASCAC) jumped out a 4-0 lead in their first at-bat of the opener thanks to a three-run triple by McCarthy.

After an RBI double by freshman Kristyna Flaherty (Burlington, Mass.) extended that margin to 5-0 in the third, the host Buccaneers (0-8, 0-8 MASCAC) got a run back in the bottom of the frame on a run scoring groundout by freshman Alexis Jendzejec (West Greenwich, R.I.).

Sophomore Courtney Leddy's (Saugus, Mass.) RBI single in the fourth gave Bridgewater State its final tally of the lid-lifter, and a sixth inning run scoring single off the bat of sophomore Cassidy Nice (Carver, Mass.) in the sixth accounted for Massachusetts Maritime's second run and the final score.

Junior Karissa Pagan (Brockton, Mass.) collected three of the Bears' 11 hits in the opening game triumph, while sophomore Breanna Shaffer (Plainville, Mass.) joined McCarthy with a pair of hits for the visitors in support of sophomore Iliana Rivera (Naugatuck, Conn.), who allowed an earned run and struck out six to improve to 5-3 on the season.

Jendzejec rapped out two of the Buccaneers' four hits in the opening game setback, as freshman Carli Thomas (Brewster, Mass.) went the distance inside the circle for Massachusetts Maritime, fanning three along the way.

After jumping out to a 2-0 first inning lead in the nightcap, Bridgewater State used a seven run second inning rally that was highlighted by Leddy's two-run single and a two-run double from senior Jessica Laudati (Berkley, Mass.) to take control of the contest.

The Bears broke things open in the fourth with a nine-run rally that featured a two-run double by sophomore Jackie Welch (Hubbardston, Mass.), a two-run single by senior Jocelyn Bettencourt (Plymouth, Mass.) and a bases clearing triple off the bat of sophomore Tara McCann (Fall River, Mass.).

Leddy rapped out four hits and drove in three runs in the nightcap triumph for Bridgewater State, which also received three hits each from Bettencourt and Welch and four total RBI from McCann in support of freshman Alexandra Wright (Lakeville, Mass.), who tossed a two-hit shutout and fanned seven to improve to 3-0 on the spring.

Jendzejec rapped out a double in the nightcap for Massachusetts Maritime, while Thomas also collected a hit at the plate and suffered the setback inside the circle.

Massachusetts Maritime hosts Pine Manor in a non-league doubleheader on Thursday afternoon at Alison Rollins Field beginning at 3:30 p.m., while Bridgewater State hosts defending national champion Tufts in a non-league twinbill tomorrow afternoon in Bridgewater, Mass. that begins at 3:00 p.m.