Softball Sweeps Curry Behind Reichert, Healy

BRIDGEWATER, Mass. – Senior pitcher Kelley Reichert (Milford, Mass.) picked up a pair of wins in the circle, and senior right fielder Emma Healy (Plymouth, Mass.) cracked a walk-off homer in game one, as the Bridgewater State University softball team swept a non-conference doubleheader with visiting Curry College on Tuesday afternoon at Alumni Park.

Bridgewater won the opener in dramatic fashion, 5-2, and completed the sweep with a 7-4 victory in game two.

The Bears improve to 11-10-1 on the season with the two wins, while the visiting Colonels fall to 4-10. Bridgewater State is now 8-2 versus Curry since the two teams first met in 2016.

Game One: Bridgewater State 5, Curry 2

Healy blasted a walk-off three-run homer off the scoreboard in left field to lift the Bears to a 5-2 comeback win in the opener.

Reichert came on in relief to start the fifth and shut down the Colonels over the final three innings to earn the win. Reichert gave up just one hit and a walk with three strikeouts.

Freshman right fielder Natalia Okleasky (Coventry, R.I.) doubled to lead off the top of the first, advanced to third on a ground out and raced home on infield single by junior designated player Camryn Willis (Foxboro, Mass.).

Freshman pitcher Jillian Rogers (East Freetown, Mass.) blasted an opposite field home run to left in the top of the second inning to extend the Curry lead to 2-0. The homer marked the first of Rogers' collegiate career.

The Bears rallied to tie the game at 2-2 with a pair of runs in the bottom of the fourth. Bridgewater strung together four hits in the frame highlighted by RBI singles from graduate centerfielder Alexandra Ruprecht (Kingston, Mass.) and graduate catcher Madison Synan (Quincy, Mass.).

The score remained tied until the bottom of the seventh. Sophomore Madison Flamme (Bethel, Conn.) got the rally started with a pinch hit single with one out. After a fielder's choice ground out cut down the lead runner at second. Marcotte followed with a single through the left side to bring Healy to plate. Behind on the count, 1-2, Healy blasted the fifth offering of the at bat off the scoreboard in left to win the game.

Healy went 3-for-4 in the opener as she also connected for a pair of singles. The home run marked the first of her collegiate career.

Junior second baseman Kerrin McLaughlin (Haverhill, Mass.) also finished with multiple hits for the Bears in game one. McLaughlin singled twice in three at bats.

Hatch worked the first four innings in the circle for Bridgewater State giving up two runs on nine hits with no walks and three strikeouts.

Okleasky (2-4, R), Willis (2-4, RBI) and Rogers (2-3, R, RBI) each recorded multiple hits for the Colonels.

Rogers (2-7) went the distance in the circle allowing five runs on nine hits with a walk and five strikeouts.

The Colonels left eight runners on base in game one.

Game Two: Bridgewater State 7, Curry 4

Reichert (6-3) allowed just one unearned run on two hits over four innings with no walks and three strikeouts to pick up her team-leading sixth win of the season.

Freshman pitcher McKayla Cusack (West Haven, Conn.) worked the last three innings for the Bears to record her first collegiate save. Cusack gave up three unearned runs on four hits with one walk and one strikeout.

The two teams combined for 11 errors in game two as just four of the 11 runs scored were earned.

Curry opened the scoring in the top of the first inning on an RBI single by senior first baseman Lexi Buckner (Foxboro, Mass.) as the Colonels capitalized on a BSU miscue. The visitors would not score again until pushing across three unearned runs in the seventh inning.

The Bears answered with three runs in the home half of the first as the Colonels committed two costly errors. Ruprecht connected for an RBI double in the frame.

Bridgewater extended the lead to 4-1 with a run in the second as Flamme singled with one out, moved to second on a ground out and came around to score when Healy reached on an error.

The Bears took a commanding 7-1 lead with a three-run fourth. Sophomore left fielder Janet Jolly (Raynham, Mass.) singled to lead off the inning, went to third on a base hit by Flamme and raced home on a misplay in the outfield. Following back-to-back outs, senior shortstop Megan Sharon (East Longmeadow, Mass.) lined an RBI double to left and came around to score on Ruprecht's RBI base hit.

The score stayed that way until the seventh when back-to-back BSU errors to open the frame led to three unearned runs. Rogers drove in the first run of the inning with an RBI double and Willis followed with an RBI single. Rogers then raced home on the back end of a failed double steal attempt to round out the scoring. After a walk, Cusack induced a harmless pop up to close out the game.

Freshman Hailey King (Cranston, R.I.) was saddled with the loss in game two for Curry. King (3-7) allowed seven runs (four earned) on nine hits over 3 2/3 innings.

Sophomore Caitlyn Wood (Saugus, Mass.) tossed 2 1/3 scoreless innings of relief for the Colonels giving up just a hit and a walk with a pair of strikeouts.

Flamme and Sharon paced the Bears' ten-hit attack in game two with three hits apiece. Flamme was a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate with a triple and two runs scored, while Sharon went 3-for-4 with a double, a stolen base, two runs and an RBI. Ruprecht (2-4, 2B, SB, R, 2RBI) also finished with multiple hits for the hosts.

Rogers came off the bench to lead the Curry offfense in the nightcap. Rogers went 2-for-2 with a double, run and RBI.

Both teams are back in action on Saturday at noon. The Bears entertain Framingham State University in a Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) doubleheader, while the Colonels host a Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) twinbill with Roger Williams University.