White Leads Softball to Sweep of Nichols

DUDLEY, Mass. – Bridgewater State pitcher Amber White (Middleboro, Mass.) tossed a complete-game, five-hit shutout and followed up with a save in the nightcap as the Bears swept Nichols, 3-0 and 11-7, in a Tuesday afternoon non-conference twinbill.

Bridgewater runs its win streak to five in a row and improves to 19-7, while Nichols sees its four-game win streak snapped and dips to 9-13.

White fanned five and walked two in the opener, allowing just one extra-base hit, a double to Savannah Thibault (Marlborough, Mass.) in the sixth. She relieved Meghan Dunn (Colchester, Conn.) in sixth inning of the second game, coming on with one out and the tying run at the plate, only to induce a pair of flyouts and keep the Bison hitless through the finish.

Bridgewater collected 19 hits between the two games, led by a 3-5 effort from Brianna Strecker (Waterford, Conn.), who hit a two-run home run in the first game and stole three bases in the nightcap. Jasmyn McCone (Taunton, Mass.) led off game one with a solo shot, finishing the day 2-6 with two RBI and three runs scored.

Thibault was 4-for-6 for the Bison with a pair of doubles. Emalee Watkins (Malden, Mass.) went 2-for-5 with a three-run home run. Rebecca Palmarozza (Hamden, Conn.) got her bat going in the second game, driving in a pair on a double, one of two hits for her in the game.

McCone led off the first game with a solo shot over the centerfield wall. After an out and a walk to Jennifer Shaw (Brockton, Mass.), Strecker sent one over the wall in virtually the same place. Bison pitcher Molly Ferraro (Millis, Mass.) settled down and fanned the final two batters of the inning.

Nichols threatened in the sixth after Thibault doubled and Watkins drew a walk, but two quick outs left the Bison scoreless.

The Nichols defense came up big in the top of the seventh. With one out and a lengthy at-bat by pinch-hitter Courtney Gregoire (Dartmouth, Mass.), the Bison ended the inning on a 1-2-3 double play.

Ferraro shouldered the loss with six hits while fanning seven and walking two.

Bridgewater jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead in the nightcap, using a two-run single from Penny King (Hanover, Mass.) to push across McCone and Jordan McDermott (East Bridgewater, Mass.), who led off with base knocks.

Nichols took advantage of a pair of errors to load the bases in the bottom of the frame, setting up an RBI single from Chelsea Correia (Seekonk, Mass.) before Palmarozza dropped one into left field to plate two more for a 4-2 lead. The Bison added to their lead with a two-out, three-run home run by Watkins in the fourth.

The Bears batted around in the fifth to break open the game, scoring nine runs on six hits. Bridgewater started the inning with three consecutive singles to load the bases before a hit batter plated the first run. Shaw stole home to chip away at the lead before Melissa Harmon (Shrewsbury, Mass.) tagged a two-run double to make it 7-6 and chase Bison starter Rebecca Waszczuk (Chester, N.H.). Michaela Ferreira (Fall River, Mass.) singled to the right field fence to score Harmon before McCue and McCone walked to once again load the bases. McDermott then nailed a two-run triple and crossed the plate on a throwing error to give the Bears a four-run lead, 11-7.

Taylor Ferrazzi (Ashland, Mass.) took the loss for Nichols, allowing four runs on three hits while walking four in the final 2.2 innings. Waszczuk surrendered seven runs on 10 hits while striking out two and walking one.

Dunn earned the win with 5.1 innings of work, fanning nine while walking one and giving up 10 hits and seven runs (five earned).

Nichols returns to action on Thursday when they travel to Worcester State for a 5 p.m. doubleheader. Bridgewater State hosts Fitchburg State Saturday at 1 p.m. in a MASCAC twinbill.