Softball Sweeps MASCAC Twinbill with Mass. Maritime

BRIDGEWATER, Mass. -- The Bridgewater State University softball team swept a Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) doubleheader with visiting Massachusetts Maritime Academy on Wednesday afternoon at Alumni Park.

The Bears won the opener, 21-1, and completed the sweep with a 9-0 victory in game two. Both game were stopped after the top of the fifth inning due to the eight-run mercy rule.

Bridgewater improves to 21-13 on the season and 9-3 in the MASCAC with the sweep. The Bears have won six straight games and nine of their last ten. Mass. Maritime falls to 3-21 overall and 0-12 in conference play.

In the opener, Carli Thomas (Brewster, Mass.) gave the visiting Buccaneers a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning as she belted her second home run of the season. That, however, would be all the scoring the visitors could muster in the twinbill.

The Bears put game one out of reach with a 15-run second inning and then tacked on four more runs in the third and two in the fourth.

Kelly McCarthy (Burlington, Mass.) picked up the win in the circle for Bridgewater State. McCarthy (17-5) allowed just the one run on two hits with no walks and a career-high 11 strikeouts.

Alexandra Wright (Lakeville, Mass.) and Jenny Heller (Taunton, Mass.) paced the Bears' 19-hit attack with three hits apiece. Wright went 3-for-4 with three runs and five runs batted in, while Heller was 3-for-4 at the plate with two runs and an RBI.

Kacie Carvalho (Fairhaven, Mass.) banged out a pair of triples and walked in four plate appearances. Carvalho scored two runs and drove in three. McCarthy and Morgan Cox (Dennis Port, Mass.) also reached safely three times. McCarthy went 2-for-3 with a double, a hit by a pitch, three runs and a pair of RBI, while Cox finished 2-for-2 with a walk, two runs and an RBI.

Tara McCann (Fall River, Mass.) and Tabitha Domeij (Westborough, Mass.) also finished with multiple hits for the Bears in game one. McCann went 2-for-4 with two runs and an RBI, while Domeij was 2-for-3 with two runs and an RBI.

In the nightcap, Kathleen Bailey (Bayport, N.Y.) tossed a complete game, one-hitter to record her first shutout of the season. Bailey (4-6) did not walk a batter and equaled her career-high with nine strikeouts.

The Bears scored in every inning including five runs in the bottom of the first.

Carvalho, Samantha LoPilato (Medford, Mass.), McCann, Cox and Rebecca Uschmann (Feeding Hills, Mass.) all finished with multiple hits for Bridgewater State in game two. Carvalho singled twice, walked, scored a run and drove in on over three plate appearances, LoPilato also reached safely three times as she went 2-for-2 with a walk, two runs and an RBI. Cox was 2-for-3 with a run and two RBI, while Uschmann tripled and singled in two at bats with a run and an RBI.

Mass. Maritime turned a triple play in the bottom of the second inning. With the bases loaded and a run already in, Buccaneer shortstop Rachel Gardner (Bourne, Mass.) snared a line drive, stepped on second for the second out and threw to first for the third out. 

In upcoming action, the Bears host a MASCAC doubleheader with Framingham State University on Saturday afternoon at one, while the Buccaneers entertain Pine Manor College in a non-conference twinbill tomorrow afternoon at 3:30.