Softball Opens 2021 Campaign with 7-5 Win over Worcester, Game Two Ends in a Draw

BRIDGEWATER, Mass. – The Bridgewater State University softball team edged visiting Worcester State University, 7-5, in game one of a Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) doubleheader on Thursday afternoon at Alumni Park. Game two of the twinbill ended in a 3-3 tie as the nightcap was called after eight innings due to darkness.

The doubleheader marked the season opener for the host Bears (1-0-1, 1-0-1 MASCAC) who were playing for the first time since March 15, 2020. The visiting Lancers fall to 0-5-1 on the young season and 0-1-1 in MASCAC play.

Game One

Kelley Reichert (Milford, Mass.) hurled seven strong innings to lead the Bears to a 7-5 victory in the opener. Reichert (1-0) allowed five runs, only two of which were earned, on six hits. She walked one and struck out four.

Bridgewater State banged out ten hits in the opener highlighted by two hits apiece from Morgan Cournoyer (Burrillville, R.I.), Madison Synan (Quincy, Mass.) and Alexandra Ruprecht (Kingston, Mass.), and the first collegiate home run off the bat of Kerrin McLaughlin (Haverhill, Mass.).

The Bears plated three runs in the bottom of the third inning to take a 3-0 lead. Ruprecht led off the frame with a base hit and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt. After a walk to Madelyn Klingel (Windsor, Conn.), Emma Healy (Plymouth, Mass.) ripped an RBI double down the left field line to plate Ruprecht with the first run of the game. Megan Sharon (East Longmeadow, Mass.) followed with an RBI single to bring home Klingel, and Healy would score the third run of the inning on a wild pitch.

The Lancers took advantage of a pair of BSU errors to push across a pair of unearned runs in the top of the fourth and cut the deficit to 3-2.

Bridgewater State responded with four runs in the home half of the fourth. After back-to-back singles by Cournoyer and Synan, McLaughlin belted her first collegiate home run, a three-run blast over the left field fence. Ruprecht followed with a double and later came around to score on a throwing error to give the Bears a 7-2 lead. Cournoyer's single in the fourth marked her first collegiate hit.

The Lancers put another unearned run on the board in the fifth. Brynna Meeker (Northwood, N.H.) doubled with two outs and raced home when Grace Adams (Leominster, Mass.) reached on an error.

A two-run single by Emily Bartlett (Lowell, Mass.) with two away in the top of the seventh pulled the Lancers to within two at 7-5. Reichert, however, induced a harmless ground out back to the circle to end the game.

Liv Larson (Marlborough, Mass.) went the distance in the setback for Worcester State in game one. Larson (0-2) gave up seven runs, six earned, on ten hits with two walks and a pair of strikeouts. Meeker was the only Lancer with multiple hits as she went 2-for-3 and scored a run.

Game Two

The Bears trailed 3-2 after 6 ½ innings of play but rallied for a run in the bottom of the seventh inning to send the game into extra innings. Healy led off the seventh-inning rally with a double to the gap in left-centerfield and advanced to third on a groundout. Olivia Silva (Somerset, Mass.) then reached on a bunt single to plate Healy with the tying run.

Both teams had runners erased at the plate in the eighth inning with the tie-breaker rule in effect. The game ended when a BSU base runner attempted to score from third on an errant pitch.

Worcester had taken a 1-0 lead in the in the top of the third inning as Ally Tocman (Shrewsbury, Mass.) doubled, moved to third on a groundout and scored on a BSU throwing error during an attempted steal of second.

Bridgewater answered in the home half of the third on a clutch two-out, two-run single off the bat of Sharon. Madison Dana (Lynn, Mass.) doubled to lead off the inning and was replaced on the base paths by pinch runner Kim Scanlon (Medford, Mass.). Janet Jolly (Raynham, Mass.) then reached on a bunt single for her first collegiate hit and stole second to put runners on second and third with nobody out. After the next two batters were retired, Sharon ripped a base hit up the middle to give the Bears a 2-1 lead.

The Lancers reclaimed the lead in the sixth as Stake reached on a bunt single and scored on Bartlett's triple to the gap in right-centerfield. After a pitching change, Bartlett scored on throwing error to give the visitors a 3-2 lead. Later in the inning with runners at second and third, Ruprecht helped the Bears avoid any further damage with an outstanding over-the-shoulder running catch in deep centerfield.

Klingel pitched effectively for the Bears in her first collegiate start as she allowed three runs (one earned) on five hits with no walks and three strikeouts. Laura Hatch (Middleboro, Mass.) came on in relief of Klingel in the sixth and did not allowed a run over three innings of work. Hatch gave up just one hit and fanned three.

Bartlett went 4 1/3 innings in the circle for the Lancers giving up two runs on six hits and a walk with six strikeouts. Jen Thorburn (Groton, Mass.) allowed a run on four hits with two walks and a pair of strikeouts in 3 2/3 innings of relief.

Sharon, Ruprecht and Dana paced the Bears' ten-hit attack in game two with two hits apiece. Ruprecht went 4-for-7 in the twinbill with two runs scored, while Sharon went 3-for-7 with three RBI.

Up Next: The two teams will meet again in a non-conference doubleheader on Sunday afternoon at Worcester State. Game one of the twinbill is slated to get underway at noon.