Softball Swept By Salem State in MASCAC Twinbill

By Jim Fenton

SALEM, Mass. -- The Bridgewater State University is on a five-game losing streak after being swept in a doubleheader Sunday afternoon.

The Bears lost the opener to Salem State University, 10-2, in five innings and fell in the second game, 4-0, when they managed just one hit.

Vikings sophomore Alanis Toledano (Boston, Mass.) had a no-hitter going until there was one out in the top of the sixth inning. She also went 4-for-6 with a home run and two RBI in the doubleheader.

BSU is now 8-10 and 1-3 in the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference while the Vikings improved to 10-8 and are 3-1 in the conference.

The Bears, who managed just five hits in the twinbill, have lost eight of the last 10 games following a 6-2 start to the season.

Game One: Salem State 10, Bridgewater State 2 (5 Inn.)

The Vikings scored in four of the five innings, opening a 6-2 lead after the first two frames.

BSU opened a 1-0 lead in the top of the first when sophomore Sydney Schaefer (Swarthmore, Pa.) drew a two-out walk, went to third on a double by junior Angelina Lynch (Taunton, Mass.) and scored on a passed ball.

Salem State went ahead, 3-1, in the bottom of the first on RBI doubles by sophomore Samantha Gaona-Sullivan (Billerica, Mass.) and freshman Tara Perryman (San Juan Capistrano, Calif.) and a sacrifice fly by graduate student Taylor McDermott (Durham, Conn.).

The Bears were within 3-2 in the second when freshman Sarah Silvia (East Bridgewater, Mass.) tripled with two outs and scored on a wild pitch.

But the Vikings added three more in the bottom of the second.

Sophomore Paige Souza (New Bedford, Mass.) walked, went to second on a passed ball and scored on a single to center by senior Dawn Eisnor (Medford, Mass.). After a double by senior Emily Henning (Grafton, Mass.), junior Allison Frost (Auburn, Mass.) had an RBI double to left and an error allowed the final run of the inning to score, making it 6-2.

Salem State made it 8-2 in the fourth on RBI singles by McDermott and Toledano.

The game concluded in the fifth when the Vikings scored two more on an RBI double to left by sophomore Alaina Giuliano (Malden, Mass.) while an error brought in the last run.

Winning pitcher Gracie Martineau (Westminster, Mass.) had five strikeouts and walked one to record the victory.

Senior McKayla Cusack (West Haven, Conn.) started for the Bears and went 3 2/3 innings with sophomore Lily Gagnon (East Haven, Conn.) pitching one inning of relief.

The Vikings had 13 hits, six of them doubles, with Frost, Toledano, Perryman and Giuliano getting two hits each.

Game Two: Salem State 4, Bridgewater State 0

Toledano struck out seven and walked five in pitching the one-hitter and improved to 3-3.

BSU's lone hit was a one-out double to center by graduate student Janet Jolly (Raynham, Mass.) in the sixth inning.

Jolly stole third, but Toledano struck out the next two batters to end the inning.

BSU had the bases loaded in the first when junior Victoria Becker (Abington, Mass.) and sophomore Makayla Ansell (Menifee, Calif.) walked and Jolly was hit by a pitch, but a strikeout ended the threat.

The Bears had a single base runner in the second when Silvia reached on an error, in the third when Lynch drew a two-out walk and got to third via a stolen base and wild pitch, and in the fifth and seventh on walks to Becker.

Salem State scored in the first when Frost reached on an infield hit, stole two bases and scored on a groundout.

The Vikings went up, 2-0, in the second as a groundout scored pinch runner sophomore Isabelle Besser (Scituate, R.I.).

Salem State made it 3-0 in the fourth on an RBI double to center by McDermott and added a final run in the sixth on a two-out homer to left by Toledano.

Sophomore Olivia Hargreaves (Weare, N.H.) took the loss for BSU, going five innings and striking out five with no walks. Gagnon pitched the sixth inning.

The Bears return home Tuesday for a non-conference doubleheader against Rhode Island College starting at 3 p.m.

Salem State, which is now 7-1 at home, plays against Saint Joseph's in Maine on Monday in a twinbill starting at 4 p.m.