Softball Splits Pair of Games

CLERMONT, Fla. -- The Bridgewater State University softball team split a pair of contests on Monday at The Spring Games in Clermont, Florida.

The Bears posted a 6-4 victory over Mount Ida College, and dropped an 8-6 decision to Carthage College.

Bridgewater State 6, Mount Ida 4

Sophomore shortstop Samantha Mulcahy (Taunton, Mass.) and freshman right fielder Alexandra Ruprecht (Kingston, Mass.) each went 3-for-4 at the plate, and freshman DP Krista Kennedy (Danvers, Mass.) belted her first collegiate home run to lead Bridgewater State to the 6-4 victory.

Mulcahy rapped out a pair of RBI singles and also scored two runs, while Ruprecht doubled, scored a run and drove in one.

Sophomore pitcher  Kaitlyn Shaw (Lakeville, Mass.) picked up her second win of the season in the circle, while classmate Deianeira Underhill (Rochester, Mass.) recorded her first collegiate save. Shaw (2-1) allowed four runs (two earned) on five hits over six-plus innings. She walked one and fanned four. Underhill retired three of the four batters she faced in the seventh after coming on with two runners on an nobody out.

After falling behind 2-0 in the first inning on a two-run double by junior first baseman Kelsey Weston (Hampstead, N.H.), the Bears pushed across two runs in the third to tie the game, and two more in the fourth to take a 4-2 lead.

Mulcahy started the rally in the third with a one-out base hit and Ruprecht followed with a double. After an intentional walk to sophomore first baseman Shannon Grindle (Halifax, Mass.), Mulcahy came around to score when Kennedy reach on a fielder's choice grounder. Junior second baseman Jenny Heller (Taunton, Mass.) then plated Ruprecht with a sacrifice fly.

Bridgewater took the lead in the fourth on back-to-back RBI singles by Mulcahy and Ruprecht. Kennedy's solo blast in the fifth gave the Bears a 5-2 cushion.

Mount Ida scored an unearned run in the bottom if the fifth, but Bridgewater answered with a run in the sixth on an RBI base hit by Mulcahy to make it a 6-3 game.

The game remained that way until the bottom of the seventh when a BSU error followed by a base hit put the tying run at the plate with nobody out. Underhill came on in relief and retired the first two batters she faced before allowing an RBI double to senior shortstop Hayley Microulis (Pawtucket, R.I.) as the Bears' lead was trimmed to 6-4. With the tying run standing on second base, Underhill ended the game with a big strikeout to preserve the win.

Three Mount Ida pitchers combined to give up six runs on eight hits and four walks over seven innings with a pair of strikeouts.

Carthage 8, Bridgewater State 6

Grindle went 3-for-3 with a pair of home runs, a walk and five RBI in the loss to the Lady Reds.

Carthage quickly jumped out in front scoring five runs in the top of the first inning. The Lady Reds took advantage of three BSU errors in the frame with the big hit being a three-run blast off the bat of freshman pitcher Naomi Alonzo (South Elgin, Ill.).

Grindle answered in the bottom of the first with a two-run dinger over the left field fence.

Carthage scored a run in the second an added two more in the fourth to extend the advantage to 8-2. Junior catcher Alexandra Millett (St. Charles, Ill.) singled home a run in the second and roped an RBI double in the fourth.

Grindle singled in a run in the fifth and the Bears added an unearned tally in the frame on a dropped pop up to cut the deficit to 8-4. In the seventh, Grindle connected for a two-run bomb to straightaway centerfield to make it an 8-6 game. The comeback bid, however, fell short.

Junior third baseman Courtney Gouveia (Taunton, Mass.) was the only other Bear with multiple hits as she went 2-for-4 and scored two runs. Junior centerfielder Kacie Carvalho (Fairhaven, Mass.) singled, walked and scored a run in three plate appearances.

Senior centerfielder Vivian Juarez (Lake Zurich, Ill.) paced the Lady Red's ten hit attack as she went 3-for-3 with a walk and three runs scored. Alonzo went the distance in the circle allowing six runs (five earned) on nine hits with two walks and ten strikeouts.

Three BSU pitcher combined to give up eight runs (five earned) on ten hits and three walks with four strikeouts. Shaw pitched well in relief as she tossed three scoreless inning. She allowed just a hit and a walk and fanned two.

Grindle leads the team with three home runs and 11 RBI over the Bears' first six games.

The Florida trip continues for Bridgewater State on Wednesday afternoon as the Bears take on Catholic University (2:00 PM) and Eastern Nazarene College (4:30 PM).