Softball Wins a Pair of Games

CAPE CORAL, Fla. -- The Bridgewater State University softball team improved to 3-1 with a pair of wins over Hiram College and Bethany Lutheran College on Sunday afternoon.

The Bears posted a 4-3 victory over Hiram in their opening game of the day and then knocked off Bethany Lutheran, 7-2.

Sophomore Meghan Dunn (Colchester, Conn.) picked up her second win of the young season in the opener.  Dunn went the distance allowing three runs (two earned) on three hits while walking two and striking out five. She gave up solo homers in both the fifth and seventh innings.

The Bears jumped out quickly with three runs in the first as both senior Penny King (Hanover, Mass.) and junior Stephanie Burns (North Attleboro, Mass.) walked with the bases loaded and junior Michaela Ferreira (Fall River, Mass.) singled in a run.

Bridgewater tallied what proved to be the difference run in the fourth inning as sophomore pinch runner Felecia Wissekerke (Uxbridge, Mass.) stole home.  Wissekerke was running for classmate Brianna Strecker (Waterford, Conn.) who had singled and moved to third when fellow sophomore Brianna DeNucci (Newton, Mass.) reached safely.

King finished 1-for-1 with two walks and an RBI, while junior Kate Youngstrom (Holden, Mass.) went 1-for-2 with a walk and a run scored.

In game two, the Bears received solid relief pitching from sophomore Courtney Gregoire (Dartmouth, Mass.) and freshman Chelsie Babcock (Wilmington, Mass.).  The two combined to throw four scoreless inning in relief of senior Tracey Sanko (Windsor, Conn.) with Gregoire (1-0) picking up her first collegiate win.

Sanko went the first three inning giving up two runs on three hits with a walk and a strikeout before leaving the game due to injury.  Gregoire came on to start the fourth and kept Bethany Lutheran off the scoreboard over the next three plus innings.  She scattered five hits and struck out two.  Babcock, making her first collegiate appearance, worked a scoreless seventh.

Strecker paced the Bears offensive attack in game two as she went 3-for-3 with an RBI and was also hit by a pitch.  Bridgewater plated single runs in the second, third and fourth innings and added two in the fifth and two in the sixth.

Wissekerke went 2-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI.

The Bears return to the playing field on Monday when they take on Potsdam State at 9 AM followed by Wilmington of Ohio at 11 AM.