Softballs Splits Pair of Games at Fastpitch Dreams Spring Classic

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

The Bears (2-2) post a 9-1 victory in five innings over Cedar Crest College and dropped a 4-2 decision to Misericordia University.

Bridgewater State 9, Cedar Crest 1 (5 Inn.)

Bridgewater banged out 12 hits and Tatiana Burcy (Hyde Park, Mass.) went the distance in the circle as the Bears cruised to a 9-1 win in five innings over Cedar Crest.

Burcy (1-0) allowed just one run on three hits with three walks and three strikeouts.

Emily Marcotte (North Dighton, Mass.) went 3-for-3 with a pair of stolen bases and three runs scored to pace the Bears' 12-hit attack. Janet Jolly (Raynham, Mass.) tripled scored two runs and knocked in four while Riley Fitzgerald (Swansea, Mass.) singled twice in three at bats and scored a run.

After Cedar Crest capitalized on a pair of BSU fielding miscues to push across a run in the top of the first inning, the Bears responded with a pair of runs in the home half of the first to take the lead for good. Marcotte singled and later scored on squeeze bunt by Jolly, and Sydney Schaefer (Swarthmore, Pa.) plated Jolly with an RBI single.

Back-to-back sacrifice flies off the bats of Savanah Dubois (New Bedford, Mass.) and Jolly extended the lead to 4-1 in the second inning.

Bridgewater then put the game out of reach with a five-run fourth inning highlighted by a two-run triple by Jolly.

BB Aquila was tagged with the loss in the circle for Cedar Crest. Aquila (0-1) allowed nine runs (eight earned) on 12 hits over four innings with two walks and no strikeouts.

Kate Gronkowski singled and walked twice in three plate appearances to pace the Falcon offense.

Misericordia 4, Bridgewater State 2

Casey Funesti connected for a clutch two-run homer in the top of the sixth inning to lift Misericordia to the 4-2 win.

Jennifer Milisits went the distance in the circle for the Cougars to pick up her second win of the season. Milisits (2-1) gave up two runs on 11 hits with a walk and four strikeouts.

The two teams combined for 21 hits in the contest and 20 runners left on base (ten apiece).

Misericordia got on the board in the top of the first inning as Bridget Doherty led off the game with a triple and scored on an RBI single by Gianna Russo.

Bridgewater answered in the home half of the first. Marcotte singled to lead off the frame, advanced to third on a base hit by Schaefer and trotted home on an Angelina Lynch (Taunton, Mass.) two-out RBI double.

Victoria Becker (Abington, Mass.) raced around the bases for an inside-the-park home run in the bottom of the second to give the Bears a 2-1 lead. The home run marked the first of Becker's collegiate career.

The score remained that way until the top of the sixth inning when Funesti connected for her clutch two-run blast over the centerfield fence to stake the Cougars to a 3-2 advantage.

Misericordia tacked on a run in the seventh on an RBI single by Emma Griffin.

Doherty went 3-for-3 with a triple, a run and a sacrifice bunt to pace the Cougars' ten-hit effort. Elizbeth Kelly (2-3) also recorded multiple hits for Misericordia.

Marcotte went 3-for-4 and scored a run to lead the way for the Bears who banged out 11 hits in the setback. Marcotte is batting .614 (.643) over the first four games of the season with six runs scored.

Schaefer (2-4), Lynch (2-4, 2B, RBI) and Becker (2-3, HR) also registered multiple hits.

Madelyn Klingel (Windsor, Conn.) worked the first four innings in the circle for the Bears but did not factor in the decision. Klingel .allowed one run on five hits with a walk and a strikeout.

McKayla Cusack (West Haven, Conn.) picked up the loss in relief, Cusack (1-1) gave up two runs on three hits with a walk in two innings of work.

The Fastpitch Dreams Spring Classic continues for Bridgewater State on Wednesday when the Bears take on Wilkes University at 9:00 AM and Rosemont College at one o'clock.