Softball Splits Pair of Games to Open 2024 Season

NORTH MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. -- The Bridgewater State University softball team opened the 2024 season by splitting a doubleheader on Sunday at the Fastpitch Dreams Spring Classic.

The Bears dropped the first game, 3-0, to Penn State-Harrisburg, then rallied for two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to overtake St. Elizabeth University of Morristown, N.J., 5-4, in the nightcap.

BSU plays another doubleheader on Monday when it goes against Cedar Crest College of Allentown, Pa., at 11 a.m. and Misericordia University of Dallas, Pa., at 3 p.m. in Little River, S.C.

Penn State-Harrisburg 3, Bridgewater State 0

The Bears were limited to four hits by winning pitcher Mackenzie Sawdey, who struck out nine and faced only four batters over the limit.

BSU did not have a base runner after Sydney Schaefer (Chelmsford, Mass.) led off the fourth inning with a double. She advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt by Riley Fitzgerald (Swansea, Mass.), the only time the Bears had a runner get past second.

The Lions broke a scoreless tie with a pair of unearned runs in the top of the fifth inning.

Elaina Gates singled to center and advanced to third when Cara Bissecker and Madelyn Lehigh reached on infield errors.

Mackenzie Fisher brought in the first run of the game with a single to left and Aspen Walker made it 2-0 with a sacrifice fly.

Penn State-Harrisburg added its other run in the seventh when Lauren Hess singled, went to second on a passed ball and scored on a single to left by Fisher.

BSU had singles from Angelina Lynch (Taunton, Mass.) in the second inning and Emily Marcotte (North Dighton, Mass.) and Madelyn Klingel (Windsor, Conn.) in the third.

Klingel worked 6 2-3 innings for BSU, allowing three runs and seven hits.

Bridgewater State 5, St. Elizabeth 4

After allowing a run in the top of the seventh to fall behind, 4-3, the Bears rallied for their first win with a two-run bottom of the seventh.

Kyleah Plumb (Taunton, Mass.) and Marcotte reached on infield hits and they advanced into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt by Savanah Dubois (New Bedford, Mass.).

An infield hit by Janet Jolly (Raynham, Mass.) tied the game and Schaefer delivered the game-winning run in walk-off fashion with a sacrifice fly to right, scoring Marcotte.

BSU jumped to a 2-0 lead in the first inning as it scored a pair of unearned runs.

Marcotte led with a bunt single and scored when Dubois reached on an error. With Dubois on second, Jolly struck out but reached on a passed ball, and Dubois scored on an error on the play.

St. Elizabeth got within 2-1 in the third as a groundout by Isabell Edwards brought in a run.

The Bears went in front, 3-1, in the fourth inning as Fitzgerald and Victoria Becker (Abington, Mass.) second, and an error on a fielder's choice by Kayliz Ortega (North Andover, Mass.) delivered the run.

St. Elizabeth pulled even at 3-3 in the fifth inning with an error scoring one run and a fielder's choice bringing in the tying run.

The Eagles then went in front for the first time in the seventh. They loaded the bases as Savannah VanWinkle singled, Samantha Hemhauser bunted for a hit and Jadyn Barker walked. Isabell Edwards then walked to bring in the go-ahead run.

The Bears had 10 hits with Marcotte, Jolly, Fitzgerald and Becker getting two each while Schaefer had her second double of the doubleheader.

Reliever McKayla Cusack (West Haven, Conn.) worked three innings, allowing a run and four hits, for the win. Olivia Hargreaves (Weare, N.H.) went the first four innings, giving up one earned run and four hits.