Softball Swept by UMass Dartmouth

BRIDGEWATER, Mass. -- The visiting UMass Dartmouth softball team swept a non-conference doubleheader with Bridgewater State University on Tuesday afternoon at Alumni Park. The Corsairs recorded back-to-back shutouts as they posted a 12-0 mercy rule victory in game one followed by a 6-0 win in the nightcap.

The Corsairs improve to 10-4 on the season with their third straight win, while the Bears fall to 2-10 with their eighth straight setback.

Game One: UMass Dartmouth 12, Bridgewater State 0 (5 Inn.)

Graduate righthander Jill Richards (Kingston, Mass.) tossed a complete game one-hit shutout to lead the Corsairs to the 12-0 victory in game one. The game was stopped after five innings due to the eight-run mercy rule. Richards (4-3) struck out nine, did not issue a walk and hit a batter. She took a no-hitter into the fifth inning before giving up a bloop single to BSU senior catcher Madison Dana (Lynn, Mass.) with two outs.

Richards and sophomore second baseman Larissa Piessens (Windham, N.H.) rapped two hits apiece to lead the Corsairs' nine-hit attack. Richards went 2-for-4 with a double, two runs and an RBI, while Piessens doubled and singled in three at bats, scored a run and knocked in two.

UMass opened the scoring in the top of the second inning. Richards doubled to lead off the frame, advanced to third on a base hit by freshman third baseman RaeLynn Perregeaux (Torrington, Conn.) and scored on a sacrifice fly off the bat of freshman centerfielder Sydney Menz (Stoughton, Mass.).

The Corsairs extended the lead to 2-0 in the top of the third. Piessens singled with one out, stole second, stole third and trotted home on an RBI double by graduate catcher Lindsay Chubbuck (Berkley, Mass.).

UMass pushed across four unearned runs in the fourth to make it a 6-0 game. Junior designated player Dyonna Rodas (Warwick, R.I.) knocked in the first run of the inning with a sacrifice fly while graduate shortstop Leah Major (Fairhaven, Mass.) connected for an RBI single and Piessens capped off the frame with a two-run double.

The Corsairs capitalized on three more BSU errors, including a dropped fly ball and a dropped pop up, to put the game out of reach with a six-run fifth inning. Freshman Lena Tsonis (New Bedford, Mass.) connected for a sacrifice fly in the frame while Richard added an RBI single.

Junior righthander Madelyn Klingel (Windsor, Conn.) worked the first 3 2/3 innings in the setback for the Bears. Klingel (1-6) allowed six runs, only two of which were earned, on seven hits with a pair of walks and a strikeout. She also hit a batter.

Game Two: UMass Dartmouth 6, Bridgewater State 0

Junior righthander Kaitlyn Shirshac (Enfield, Conn.) tossed six shutout innings to lead UMass to the 6-0 win and a sweep of the doubleheader. Shirshac (5-0) scattered three hits, did not issue a walk, and fanned seven.

Junior first baseman Hailey Lyons (Hayden, Idaho) belted her first home run of the season, a two-run blast over the left-centerfield fence, to give the visitors a 2-0 lead in the top of the second inning.

Back-to-back sacrifice flies by Chubbuck and Richards followed by an RBI infield single by Lyons in the top of the sixth extended the UMD lead to 5-0. An RBI ground out by sophomore pinch hitter Emily Wilkinson (Marshfield, Mass.) in the seventh accounted for the final score of 7-0.

Lyons went 2-for-3 with a run and three RBI. Perregaux doubled and tripled in three at bats and scored two runs. UMass banged out nine hits in game two.

Junior right fielder Molly Thibaudeau (Lincoln, R.I.), senior first baseman Olivia Silva (Somerset, Mass.), junior designated player Ava Novakoski (Auburn, Mass.) and junior centerfielder Janet Jolly (Raynham, Mass.) each recorded a hit for the Bears.

Sophomore righthander McKayla Cusack (West Haven, Conn.) pitched into the sixth inning in the setback for Bridgewater State. Cusack (1-2) allowed five runs on seven hits over 5 2/3 innings. She did not issue a walk and recorded one strikeout. Sophomore righty Seani Silva (Braintree, Mass.) gave up one unearned run on two hits in 1 1/3 innings of relief in her BSU pitching debut. Seani fanned one.

In upcoming action, the Bears host a doubleheader with the Beacons of UMass Boston on Thursday afternoon at 2:30. The Corsairs travel to Wheaton College on Saturday for a noontime twinbill with the Lyons.

Notes: Bridgewater is 31-22-2 versus UMass since 1983 and 19-12-2 at home.