Dunn, Shaw Lead Softball to Wins over Regis & Penn State-Behrend

FORT MYERS, Mass. – The Bridgewater State University softball team improved to 6-0 as the Bears posted a pair of mercy rules victories on Monday in Fort Myers and Cape Coral, Florida.  Bridgewater downed Regis College, 10-2 in five innings, and earned a 12-4 five-inning decision over Penn State-Behrend.

Meghan Dunn (Colchester, Conn.) posted her second win of the season in the circle for the Bears in the opener.  Dunn (2-0) allowed just two runs on three hits with no walks and six strikeouts.

Bridgewater took advantage of some shaky Regis pitching and defense and used some aggressive base running to pick up the win.  Pride hurlers issued seven walkers and defensively their infield committed four errors which led to four unearned runs.  The Bears also stole five bases in the game.

The Bears plated three in the top of the first as the runs scored on a pair of wild pitches and a Penny King (Hanover, Mass.) sacrifice fly.  Regis cut the deficit to 3-2 in the bottom of the fourth on a two-run homer by Jasmyn Welch (Wells, Maine).

Bridgewater exploded for seven runs in the fifth as the Bears sent 11 batters to the plate.  The inning was highlighted by a grand slam off the bat of Courtney Gregoire (Dartmouth, Mass.). Dunn set down the side in order in the bottom half of the inning to give BSU the five-inning, 10-2 win.

Jennifer Shaw (Brockton, Mass.) was impressive at the plate for the Bears in the triumph over Penn State-Behrend.  Shaw went 3-for-3 with two home runs and a career-high eight runs batted in.  She staked Bridgewater to a 3-0 lead in the first with a three-run blast and then drove in a pair runs in the second with a two-run single to up the advantage to 5-0.

Penn State-Behrend pushed across four runs in the top of the third off on an Ashley Gruber (Burton, Ohio) three-run double and a Callie Markovich (Edinboro, Pa.) RBI single.

Leading 5-4, Bridgewater put the game away with a seven-run fourth inning as the Bears sent ten batters to the plate.  Shaw connected for a three-run dinger, her fifth home run of the season, Melissa Harmon (Shrewsbury, Mass.) stroked a three-run double and Gregoire capped off the frame with an RBI single.

BSU right-hander Amber White (Middleboro, Mass.) improved to 4-0 as she worked the first three innings giving up four runs on four hits with two walks and a strikeout.  Dunn pitched two scoreless innings to record her first save of the season.

In addition to Shaw's offensive outburst, Jordan McDermott (East Bridgewater, Mass.) went 2-for-2 with a walk and scored three runs.

Bridgewater's Spring Break trip continues on Wednesday when the Bears take on Bethany Lutheran College and Kenyon College.