Softball Rallies for MASCAC Sweep of MCLA

BRIDGEWATER, Mass. -- The Bridgewater State University softball team swept a Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) doubleheader with MCLA on Sunday afternoon at Alumni Park. The Bears won the first game in walk-off fashion, 6-5, and rallied from a 14-run deficit to complete the sweep with a 24-17 victory in game two. The twinbill marked the MASCAC opener for both teams.

The Bears improve to 4-16 on the season and 2-0 in the MASCAC, while the visiting Trailblazers fall to 4-12 overall and 0-2 in conference play. Bridgewater has won each of the last 12 meetings of the two teams. The Bears are 70-13 versus the Trailblazers since 1984.

Game One: Bridgewater State 6, MCLA 5

The Bears snapped a 14-game losing skid with a walk-off 6-5 win in game one of the doubleheader.

Trailing 5-4 in the bottom of the seventh inning, Emily Marcotte reached on an error to start the comeback and advanced to second on a walk to Ava Novakoski. After an out, Madison Dana smacked an RBI single to center to plate Marcotte with the game-tying run. A bobble in centerfield allowed pinch runner Madison Flamme to advance to third on the play. Olivia Silva then ended the game with an RBI single through the right side.

The Bears opened the scoring in the bottom of the second inning. Silva walked to lead off the frame and scored all the way from first on an RBI double by Riley Fitzgerald.

The Trailblazers knotted the game with an unearned run in the top of the third on an RBI single by Madison Teta.

Silva tripled and scored on an RBI single by Molly Thibaudeau in the bottom of the fourth. After a double play, Katie Tobin was hit by a pitch and scored on Amelia Blake's RBI triple. Marcotte followed with a base hit up the middle to plate Blake and give the Bears a 4-1 lead.

MCLA answered with four runs in the top of the fifth. The Trailblazers capitalized on three walks and a hit by pitch in the frame. With the bases loaded and one out, Teta was hit by a pitch and Lidia Flores worked a walk to pull the visitors to within one. Kristie Zator followed with an RBI single to tie the game, and Teta raced home on a wild pitch to give MCLA the 5-4 lead.

Seani Silva picked her first collegiate win for the Bears in relief of starter McKayla Cusack. Silva (1-0) gave up just a hit and a walk in 2 2/3 innings of shutout relief.

Flores (2-4) suffered the loss in the circle for MCLA giving up six runs (five earned) on 11 hits over 6 1/3 innings with two walks and three strikeouts.

Marcotte (2-4, R, RBI), Jolly (2-4, 3B), Silva (2-3, 3B, BB, 2R, RBI) notched two-hits apiece to pace the Bears' 11-hit attack.

Teta singled and walked twice in three plate appearances with a run and two RBI to lead the way for the Trailblazers.

Game Two: Bridgewater State 24, MCLA 17

In a high-scoring affair, the Bears rallied from a 14-0 deficit to complete the sweep with a 24-17 win in the nightcap. The two teams combined for 41 runs, 40 hits and 13 errors.

The MLCA offense exploded for ten runs in the top of the first inning highlighted by a grand slam by Ella Staffier. The Trailblazers sent 14 batters to the plate in the first. The visitors tacked on four more runs in the second inning capped off by a Staffier two-run double.

Bridgewater answered with three runs in the home half of the second to start the comeback. Tobin and Marcotte connected for RBI singles in the frame. The Bears then sent 11 batters to the plate in a seven-run third inning to cut the deficit to 14-10. Silva, Thibaudeau, Riley Fitzgerald, Tobin and Blake each notched RBI singles in the inning.

MCLA got one back in the top of the fifth on an RBI single by Flores to make it a 15-10 game.

The Bears banged out ten hits and sent 14 batters to the plate in a ten-run bottom of the fifth inning to take a 20-15 lead. Emily Eastman got the scoring started in the frame with a two-run triple, while Fitzgerald also connected for a two-run triple and Blake added an RBI triple. Bridgewater also received RBI singles by Janet Jolly, Blake and Marcotte in the inning as well as a Silva RBI double.

Flores' two-run single in the top of the sixth pulled the Trailblazers to within three at 20-17.

Bridgewater answered with four unearned runs in the home half of the sixth to round out the scoring. The Bears capitalized on three MCLA errors. Blake connected for an RBI double in the inning while Marcotte added an RBI single.

Blake went 4-for-5 with a double, a triple, four runs and three RBI, while Marcotte was 4-for-6 at the plate with threes stolen bases, three runs and three RBI to pace the Bears' 22-hit attack. Jolly (3-5, 2R, 2RBI), Dana (2-4, BB, 3R, 2RBI), Silva (2-4, 2B, BB, 3R, 2RBI), Thibaudeau (2-3, BB, 2R, RBI), Fitzgerald (2-5, 3B, 2R, 3RBI) and Tobin (2-5, 3R, 2RBI) also recorded multiple hits for Bridgewater State in the nightcap.

Cusack (2-5) earned the win in relief as she allowed two runs (one earned) on three hits over 2 2/3 innings with no walks and four strikeouts. Silva also pitched effectively out of the pen giving up one run in 2 1/3 innings of relief.

Staffier went 4-for-5 with a grand slam, a double, three runs and seven RBI to lead the way for MCLA in game two. Flores rapped four singles in five at bats, scored a run and knocked five, while Hailey Peabody was 3-for-4 with a double, a walk, five runs and an RBI. Madyson Torres (2-4, BB, 2R, 2RBI) and Justina Pardi (2-4, 2B, BB, R, RBI) also recorded multiple hits for the Trailblazers.

The 24 runs marked the most in a game for Bridgewater State since a 27-run performance against Mass. Maritime in 2014.

Up Next: The Bears host Rhode Island College in a non-conference twinbill on Wednesday afternoon at three o'clock. The Trailblazers entertain Bay Path College in a non-conference doubleheader on Tuesday afternoon also starting at three.