Softball Opens Season with Sweep of Salve Regina

Game One Box Score | Game Two Box Score

KISSIMMEE, Fla. -- The Bridgewater State College softball team opened the 2009 season with a doubleheaders sweep of Salve Regina University on Saturday afternoon at the Disney Sports Complex in Kissimmee, Florida.

The Bears (2-0) blanked the Seahawks (0-2) by a margin of 2-0 in game one of the twinbill and completed the sweep with an 11-8 victory in the nightcap.

Senior right hander Alyssa Verronneau (Acushnet, MA) tossed a complete game one-hitter in the opener.  Verronneau walked just one batter and struck out ten. 

BSC broke a scoreless tie in the bottom of the second as senior shortstop Rachael Sprague (Duxbury, MA) led off the frame with a single and moved to second on a walk to freshman right fielder Michaela Ferreira (Fall River, MA). After a passed ball moved the runners up to second and third, freshman Shanna Lathrop (Hopedale, MA) plated Sprague with an RBI groundout. 

The 1-0 score stood up until the bottom of the sixth when senior third baseman Stacy Capodiece (East Lyme, CT) worked a two-out walk.  Capodiece moved to third on a hit-and-run single by Ferreira and came around to score when a throw to the plate got away from the Salve catcher.

In game two, the Bears jumped out to an eight-run advantage and hung on for the 11-8 victory. 

BSC scored two runs in the first, three in the second, one in the third and three more in the fourth to take a 9-1 lead.  Salve answered with a seven-run fourth inning thanks to five Bridgewater State errors to cut the deficit to 9-8.

The Bears pushed across two big insurance runs in the top of the seventh on an RBI single by junior second baseman Lauren Cucinotta (Franklin, MA) and a bases loaded walk to senior center fielder Allie LeBlanc (Somerset, MA).

Sophomore left fielder Tracey Sanko (Windsor, CT) paced a 15-hit Bridgewater attack as she went 5-for-5 with two runs scored and an RBI.  LeBlanc finished 3-for-3 with a walk, a sacrifice fly, three runs batted in and a run scored. Cucinotta had three hits in five at bats as she drove in two runs and also scored twice. Ferreira went 3-for-4 with three RBI. 

Junior Jamie Ducinski (Duxbury, MA) picked up the win out of the bullpen for the Bears as she tossed 3 2/3 innings of scoreless relief. Ducinski (1-0) allowed four hits, walked one and struck out two after taking over in the fourth inning.

Senior Stephanie Pierce (Worcester, MA) got the start for the Bears but was victimized by poor defensive play behind her in the seven-run fourth inning. Pierce, who allowed eight unearned runs in 3 1/3 innings of work, gave up three hits, walked one and struck out seven.