Softball Downs Westfield, 7-6, in Walk-Off Fashion

BRIDGEWATER, Mass. – Jessica Laudati's (Berkley, Mass.) walk-off single in the bottom of the ninth inning lifted the Bridgewater State University softball team to a dramatic 7-6 victory over Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) rival Westfield State University in game one of a doubleheader on Wednesday afternoon at Alumni Park.

Game two of the twinbill was called due to rain in the first inning. 

The Bears improve to 12-5 on the season and 2-1 in the MASCAC, while the visiting Owls slip to 4-7 overall and 0-1 in conference play.

Trailing 6-3 in the bottom of the seventh inning, the Bears loaded the bases with nobody out. Breanna Shaffer (Plainville, Mass.) led of the frame with a double and advanced to third on Jocelyn Bettencourt's (Plymouth, Mass.) base hit. Courtney Leddy (Saugus, Mass.) then reached on a fielder's choice with Bettencourt beating the throw to second. That brought up Kelly McCarthy (Burlington, Mass.) who cleared the bases with a triple to the gap in right-center field. McCarthy, however, slipped rounding third base on the play and was tagged out. That would prove big as Laudati followed with a base hit which would have won the game in regulation.

With the score knotted at 6-6, neither team threatened in the eighth inning. After Westfield went down in the top of the ninth, Leddy opened the bottom half of the inning with a double to the alley in left-center field. Following a walk to McCarthy, Laudati ripped a single down the right field line to plate Leddy with the game-winning run.

A two-run single by McCarthy in the bottom of the first gave the Bears an early 2-0 lead. Both runs were unearned as the Owls committed two errors in the frame.

Westfield took advantage of a pair of BSU miscues in a four-run second inning as the Owls jumped ahead 4-2.

Laudati tripled and scored on a wild pitch in the sixth to cut the Bears' deficit to 4-3.

The Owls extended their lead to 6-3 in the top of the seventh on back-to-back bases loaded walks by Kat Robinson (East Hampton, Conn.) and Elizabeth Kelly (Quincy, Mass.). 

Laudati went 4-for-5 at the plate to highlight the Bears' 13-hit attack. McCarthy finished with five runs batted in as she was 2-for-4 with a walk. Shaffer had three hits in five at bats and scored two runs, while Leddy was 2-for-5 with three runs scored.

In the circle for the Bears, Iliana Rivera (Naugatuck, Conn.) worked six plus innings giving up four runs (two earned) on just three hits with three walks and six strikeouts. Alexandra Wright (Lakeville, Mass.) picked up the win in relief. Wright (2-0) allowed two runs on two hits and five walks in three innings of work.

Julia Sullivan (West Barnstable, Mass.) went the distance in the circle for Westfield. Sullivan (2-4) gave up seven runs (five earned) on 13 hits with two walks and two strikeouts.

Emma Dunbar was the only Owl with multiple hits as she went 2-for-4 with a run and an RBI.

The Bears travel to Worcester State University on Saturday for a MASCAC doubleheader wiith the Lancers starting at noon. The Owls head to Keene State College on Thursday afternoon with game one of their non-conference twinbill getting underway at 3:30.