Softball Drops Pair of Games at Fastpitch Dreams Spring Classic

LITTLE RIVER, S.C. – The Bridgewater State University softball team dropped a pair of games on Tuesday at the Fastpitch Dreams Spring Classic in South Carolina.

The Bears (2-4) fell to Penn State-Harrisburg, 7-6, and dropped a 6-1 decision to Cedar Crest College.

Penn State-Harrisburg 7, Bridgewater State 6

The Bears trailed 7-3 late in the setback to Penn State but rallied for three runs in the top of the sixth. A two-run triple off the bat of junior centerfielder Janet Jolly (Raynham, Mass. followed by an RBI sacrifice bunt by freshman third baseman Emily Eastman (Cranston, R.I.) made it a one-run game.

Bridgewater had two runners on with one out in the top of the seventh but an interference call on a groundball to short helped put an end to threat as the comeback bid fell short.

Jolly went 2-for-3 with a double, triple, a run and three RBI to pace the BSU offense. Sophomore shortstop Alicia Habib (Haverhill, Mass.) walked twice in four plate appearances and scored two runs while, while freshman right fielder Victoria Becker (Abington, Mass.) went 1-for-3 with two runs.

Sophomore shortstop Madelyn Lehigh (Harrisburg, Pa.) and freshman third baseman Leah Macaluso (Dunn Loring, Va.) notched two hits apiece for the Lions. Lehigh went 2-for-4 with a triple and a run, while Macaluso was 2-for-3 at the plate with a triple, a run and two RBI.

Penn State banged out four triples in the game. Senior right fielder Krys Moore (Spring Grove, Pa.) smacked an RBI triple in the second inning and stole home. Freshman second baseman Mackenzie Fisher (Dauphin, Pa.) tripled and scored on a throwing error in the third. Lehigh raked a triple to lead off the fifth inning and raced home on an RBI single. Macaluso capped off the Lions' scoring with a two-run triple in the fifth.

Freshman righthander Mackenzie Sawdey (Halifax, Pa.) worked the first four innings in the circle for Harrisburg to record her third win of the season. Sawdey (3-1) gave up three runs (two earned) on three hits with a walk and three strikeouts. Sophomore righty Carissa Yeager (Schuylkill Haven Pa.) picked up her first save of the 2023 campaign. Yeager allowed three runs (one earned) on two hits over three innings of relief with a walk and a strikeout.

Three BSU pitchers combined to give up seven runs (six earned) on nine hits over six innings with two walks and four strikeouts. Sophomore righthander McKayla Cusack (West Haven, Conn.) pitched effectively out of the pen. Cusack came on after the Macaluso triple in the fifth and fanned the next two batters to get out of the inning. She worked out of a bases loaded one-out jam in the sixth by getting a big strikeout and then inducing a harmless fly out to center.

Cedar Crest 6, Bridgewater State 1

Junior righthander Corinne Mundy (Philadelphia, Pa.) went the distance in the circle to lead Cedar Crest to the 6-1 victory. Mundy (1-2) gave up one run and scattered seven hits over seven innings with a walk and five strikeouts.

Cedar Crest capitalized on three BSU errors as four of the six Falcon runs were unearned.

Graduate catcher Ashley Heller (Allentown, Pa.) and freshman second baseman Taylor Faw (Glen Burnie, Md.) each recorded multiple hits for Cedar Crest. Heller singled twice in four at bats and drove in a run, while Faw went 2-for-3. Freshman right fielder Natalie Hasert (Vernon, N.J.) doubled and walked in four trips to the plate and scored a pair of runs.

Jolly singled and was hit by a pitch in three plate appearances, stole three bases and scored a run to lead the Bears' offense. Senior first baseman Olivia Silva (Somerset, Mass.) went 2-for-4 with a double. Sophomore third baseman Riley Fitzgerald (Swansea, Mass.) drove in Bridgewater's lone run of the game with an RBI ground out in the sixth inning. Fitzgerald also added a single and stolen base.

The Bears left a runner on base in every inning but the sixth (eight total).

BSU junior righthander Tatiana Burcy (Hyde Park, Mass.) allowed four runs, only one of which was earned, on three hits over 3 2/3 innings. Burcy (0-1) issued a pair of walks and fanned one.

Notes: Cedar Crest and Bridgewater State previously met at the 2021 NCAA Division III Tournament Seguin, Texas Regional with the Falcons coming away with an 8-5 win.

Up Next: Bridgewater State's trip to South Carolina for the Fastpitch Dreams Spring Classic continues Wednesday afternoon as the Bears take on Greensboro College at three o'clock and Williams Peace University at five.