Softball Falls to Heidelberg, Wittenberg at The Spring Games

CLERMONT, Fla. -- The Bridgewater State University softball team suffered a pair of setbacks on Saturday at The Spring Games in Clermont, Florida.

The Bears (3-7) dropped a 5-0 decision to Heidelberg University and fell to Wittenberg University by a 4-0 margin.

Game One: Heidelberg 5, Bridgewater State 0

Kaitlyn Moore (Springfield, Ohio) tossed a complete game, one-hit shutout to lead Heidelberg (9-3) to the 5-0 victory over Bridgewater State. Moore struck out seven and faced the minimum of 21 batters. She allowed just a lead-off single to Jenny Heller (Chicopee, Mass.) in the bottom of the third inning and retired the final 14 hitters she faced.

The game was scoreless until the top of the seventh when Heidelberg took advantage of three BSU miscues to push across five unearned runs. Gill rapped a lead-off single while Leah Bouillon (Carey, Ohio) and Hanna Blasinsky (Willoughby, Ohio) both reached on errors to load the bases with nobody out. Shelby Miller (Wooster, Ohio) walked to force in the tie-breaking run and Bethany Redman (Pickerington, Ohio) followed with a sacrifice fly to make it a 2-0 game. Another error loaded the bases and Moore helped her own cause with a two-run single. One out later, Kennedy Conney (Norwalk, Ohio) capped off the scoring with an RBI single.

Along with her outstanding effort in the circle, Moore also went 2-for-4 at the plate with two runs batted in. Bouillon (2-3, R) and Casey Moore (Springfield, Ohio) also finished with multiple hits for Heidelberg. Moore went 2-for-4 with a double and run scored.

Ashley Leonard (Acushnet, Mass.) made her collegiate debut in the circle for the Bears. Leonard did not allow a run and gave up three hits in 2 1/3 innings of work.

Laura Hatch (Middleboro, Mass.) came on relief of Leonard with one out in third inning and kept Heidelberg off the board until the seventh. Hatch (1-4) allowed five unearned runs on six hits in 4 2/3 innings with one walk and three strikeouts.

Game Two: Wittenberg 4, Bridgewater State 0

Mary Britton (Springfield, Mass.) hurled a complete game shutout to lead Wittenberg (7-3) to a 4-0 victory over Bridgewater State. Britton (4-0) scattered eight hits, walked one and fanned two.

Wittenberg pushed across an unearned run in the bottom of the first inning. Elise Freeland (Marysville, Ohio) singled, stole second and advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt. After Clara Anderson (Greenwood, Ind.) was hit by a pitch, Anderson stole second with Freeland crossing the plate on an errant throw by the catcher.

The Tigers extended the lead to 2-0 in the second. Alex Gibson (Lebanon, Ohio) singled to lead off the frame, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt and scored on Britton's RBI single.

Wittenberg tacked on another unearned run in the bottom of the fourth to make it a 3-0 game. Britton doubled to lead off the inning and was replaced on the base paths by pinch runner Brooke Dill (Fort Thomas, Ky.). Adams followed with a bunt single and advanced to second when Dill was thrown out at the plate attempting to score. One out later, Briana Gibson (Marysville, Ohio) reached on an  infield error allowing Adams to race home from second with the Tigers' third run.

A two-out RBI single by Victoria Toetz (Indianapolis, Ind.) capped off the scoring for Wittenberg in the bottom of the sixth.

Britton (2-3, 2B, RBI), Briana Gibson (2-3) and Alex Gibson (2-2, 2B, SB, R) all finished with multiple hits for the Tigers.

Heller went 2-for-2 and Samantha Mulcahy (Taunton, Mass.) went 2-for-4 to pace the Bears' eight-hit attack.

Kelley Reichert (Milford, Mass.) went the distance in the circle for Bridgewater State. Reichert (2-3) allowed four runs, only one of which was earned, on ten hits with a walk and three strikeouts.

Each team stranded ten runners on base and the two teams combined for seven errors.

The Bears wrap up their Florida trip on Sunday when they take on Nichols College at 10:00 AM and Clarkson University at 12:15 PM.