Softball Sweeps Fitchburg State in MASCAC Twinbill

BRIDGEWATER, Mass. -- The Bridgewater State University softball team swept a Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) doubleheader with Fitchburg State University on Saturday afternoon from Alumni Park. The Bears won the opener, 7-3, and completed the sweep with a 9-3 victory in game two.

The Bears improve to 9-24-1 on the season and 6-4 in the MASCAC, while the visiting Falcons fall to 11-20 overall and 4-6 in conference play. Bridgewater has won 12 of the last 13 meetings of the two teams. The Bears are also 73-11 versus the Falcons since 1984.

With four games remaining on the conference slate, Bridgewater is tied with Worcester State University for third place in the MASCAC standings.

Game One: Bridgewater State 7, Fitchburg State 3

Madelyn Klingel allowed just one unearned run over 4 2/3 innings to pick up her third win of the season. Klingel (3-11) scattered five hits, walked one and struck out four.

Bridgewater opened the scoring in the bottom of the first inning. Madison Dana lined a single into right field and Janet Jolly followed with an RBI triple to the gap in right-centerfield. Amelia Blake then lined a double down the left field line to give the Bears a 2-0 lead.

The Falcons capitalized on a base advancement error in the top of the fifth inning to push across an unearned run on an RBI double by Molly Grass.

The Bears broke the game open with a five-run sixth inning. Two of the runs were unearned due to a pair of Fitchburg errors. Olivia Silva cracked an RBI single to get the scoring started in the frame. Riley Fitzgerald rapped a clutch pinch hit two-run single, while Emily Marcotte added an RBI single, and Tatiana Burcy connected for an RBI double.

Grass belted a two-run homer in the top of the seventh inning to cap off the scoring.

Burcy worked the final 2 1/3 innings in the circle for the Bears to pick up her team-leading third save of the season. Burcy allowed two runs on four hits.

Sarah Cahill was saddled with the loss for the Falcons. Cahill (5-7) gave up seven runs (five earned) on ten hits over 5 2/3 innings with a walk and five strikeouts.

Marcotte was the lone Bear with multiple hits in game one as she went 2-for-4 with a run and an RBI.

Grass went 2-for-4 with a double, a home run, and three RBI to pace the Fitchburg offense, while Cahill singled twice in three trips to the plate.

Game Two: Bridgewater State 9, Fitchburg State 3

Silva, Blake and Kerrin McLaughlin each recorded multiple hits to lead Bridgewater State to the 9-3 win and a sweep of the twinbiill. Silva went 3-for-4 with a triple two runs and an RBI, while Blake went 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI. McLaughlin reached safely three times as she singled twice and walked in four plate appearances to go along with a sacrifice bunt. McLaughlin also scored two runs.

McKayla Cusack was the beneficiary of the Bears' nine-run, 12-hit attack. Cusack (4-7) allowed three runs on seven hits over 6 1/3 innings with four walks and a strikeout. Seani Silva retired the only two batters she faced including a strikeout to close out the game in the seventh.

With the score knotted at 1-1, the Bears used a three-run third inning highlighted by RBI singles from Jolly and Silva to take a 4-1 lead. Dana added a sacrifice fly in the frame.

A sacrifice fly by Kiara Bigeau and an and RBI singled off the bat of Cahill closed the Fitchburg gap to 4-3 in the top of the fifth. The Bears responded in the home half of the fifth on a clutch bases clearing three-run double by Molly Thibaudeau to extend the lead to 7-3. An RBI double by Dana and a Blake RBI single rounded out the scoring in the sixth.

Madison Mantegani (2-4, R), Dana Cisowski (2-3, BB, R) and Cahill (2-4, RBI) tallied two hits apiece for Fitchburg in game two, while Grass walked three times and scored a run.

Mary Kate Moreau suffered the loss in the circle for the Falcons. Moreau (3-6) allowed four runs (two earned) on five hits over 2 1/3 innings with one strikeout.

Up Next: The Bears host Eastern Nazarene College in a non-conference twinbill on Tuesday afternoon at three o'clock. The Falcons entertain Rivier University in a non-conference doubleheader on Wednesday afternoon also starting at three.