Softball Splits Twinbill with UMass Dartmouth

BRIDGEWATER, Mass. -- The Bridgewater State University softball team split a non-conference doubleheader with visiting UMass Dartmouth on Wednesday afternoon at Alumni Park.

The host Bears (12-12) posted a 3-2 victory in eight innings in the opener, while the Corsairs (18-7) earned the split with a 10-4 decision in the nightcap. Game two of the twinbill was called after five innings due to darkness.

In the opener, the Bears scored two runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to come away with the 3-2, extra inning win.

The Corsairs took a 1-0 lead in the top of third on a bases loaded, RBI single off the bat of Marissa Spinuzzi (Fair Lawn, N.J.). UMass, however, had a runner cut down on the bases trying to score from second on the play.

The Bears pushed across the equalizer in the bottom of the fourth as Morgan Cox (Dennis Port, Mass.) singled with one out, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt, and scored on Kristyna Flaherty's (Burlington, Mass.) RBI double to deep left field.

The score remained tied heading into the eighth inning with the tie-breaker rule in effect.

UMass broke the 1-1 deadlock with a run in the top of the eighth. With Maddie O'Gryzek (Norfolk, Mass.) on second base, Jill Miller (Freetown, Mass.) singled off the pitcher's glove to put runners at the corners with nobody out. Shannon Orton (Swansea, Mass.) followed with a sacrifice fly to center to score O'Gryzek with the go-ahead run.

In the bottom of the eighth with Courtney Leddy (Saugus, Mass.) on second, Samantha LoPilato (Medford, Mass.) looped a single into center field sending Leddy to third. Tara McCann (Fall River, Mass.) walked to load the bases and Kelly McCarthy (Burlington, Mass.) followed with an infield single to plate Leddy with the tying run. LoPilato would race home with the winning run after the ball got away from the UMass second baseman.

McCarthy (10-5) picked up the win in the circle for the Bears as she went all eight innings allowing two runs (one earned) on six hits with three walks and four strikeouts.

LoPilato (3-for-4) and Flaherty (3-for-3) finished with three hits apiece to highlight the BSU offense.

Hannah Smith (Attleboro, Mass.) suffered the loss for the Corsairs in the complete game effort. Smith (10-3) gave up three runs (one earned) on eight hits with three walks and four strikeouts.

O'Gryzek went 1-for-4 at the plate and scored both of the visitor's runs.

In game two, the Corsairs banged out 12 hits and took advantage of five BSU errors to record the 10-4 victory.

Miller went 3-for-3 with a pair of doubles, three runs and three RBI to lead the way for UMass. O'Gryzek also finished with three hits in the nightcap as she singled twice and doubled in four at bats and scored four runs to go along with a stolen base. Spinuzzi went 2-for-4 with two RBI.

Shannon Orton (Swansea, Mass.) earned the win in the circle for the Corsairs in game two. Orton (8-4) went all five innings allowing four runs on seven hits with two walks and six strikeouts.

Cox was 2-for-3 at the plate with three runs batted in for the Bears, while McCarthy went 2-for-3 with a double and a run.

The Bears trailed 5-0 after 2 1/2 innings of play, but rallied for three runs in the bottom of the third inning to close the gap. Leddy singled to start the frame and scored on LoPilato's RBI triple. McCann followed with a walk and moved up a base to put runners on second and third with one out. Cox ripped a two-run single between third and short to make it a 5-3 game.

UMass, however, answered with three runs in the top of the fourth inning as the Bears committed two errors in the frame. Gracie Trudeau's (Dartmouth, Mass.) two-run single was the big hit of the inning.

The Corsairs tacked on two more runs in the fifth to take a commanding 10-3 lead.

McCarthy doubled and scored on an RBI single by Cox in the bottom of the fifth to account for the final tally of 10-4 before the game was called due to darkness.

BSU pitchers combined to allow ten runs on 12 hits. Five of the ten runs were unearned due to the Bears' five miscues.

In upcoming action, the Bears host a MASCAC doubleheader with Worcester State University on Saturday afternoon with game one getting underway at 1:00 PM. The Corsairs entertain Salem State University tomorrow afternoon in a non-conference twinbill starting at 3:30.