Softball Splits Doubleheader with Bates

BRIDGEWATER, Mass. -- The Bridgewater State University softball team split a non-conference doubleheader with visiting Bates College on Wednesday afternoon at Alumni Park.

The visiting Bobcats (8-4) posted a 4-1 win in the opener while the Bears (7-5) earned the split with a 6-3 darkness-shortened victory in the nightcap. Game two was stopped due do darkness with runners one second and third with one out in the top of the sixth inning.

Game One: Bates 4, Bridgewater State 1

Junior Delaney Rankin (Harrison, Maine( went the distance in the circle to lead the Bobcats to the 4-1 win in the opener. Rankin improved to 6-0 on the season as she allowed just one run on five hits over seven complete innings with six walks and 11 strikeouts.

The Bears stranded nine runners on base against the righthander.

Juniors Emma Yen (Albertson, N.Y.) and Ella Maher (Newton, Mass.) each went 3-for-4 to pace the Bobcats' 11-hit attack.

Yen singled to lead off the game and came around to score two batters later on an RBI single by sophomore Zariya Anderson (Wayzata, Minn.) to give Bates the early 1-0 lead.

Rankin helped out her own cause in the top of the second and she singled to lead off the frame, advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt and moved to third on a base hit by Yen. Maher then followed with an RBI single up the middle to make it a 2-0 game.

The Bears cut the deficit in half with a run in the bottom of the fifth. Junior Victoria Becker (Abington, Mass.) singled with one out and, two batters later, scored all the way from first on an RBI double to deep right field off the bat of sophomore Sydney Schaefer (Swarthmore, Pa.).

The Bobcats capitalized on a defensive miscue to tack on a pair of insurance runs in the top of the seventh. Back-to-back base hits by Yen and Maher followed by a double steal put runners on second and third with nobody out. Anderson then ropped a liner to shallow centerfield that was dropped allowing Yen to score and Maher to advance to third. Sophomore Isabel Bettencourt (Peabody, Mass.) broight Maher home with a sacrifice fly to center to extend the Bates' lead to 4-1.

Senior righthander McKayla Cusack (West Haven, Conn.) went six innings in the circle for the Bears in the setback. Cusack (3-2) gave up two runs on nine hits with no walks and a pair of strikeouts including the 100th of her career.

Becker and Schaefer each went 2-for-3 with a walk to pace th BSU offense.

Game Two: Bridgewater State 6, Bates 3

Schaefer continued her hot hitting as she went 2-for-2 with a double, a walk, a run and an RBI to lead the Bears to the 6-3 darkness-shortened win in game two.

Bridgewater broke open a scoreless game with a four-run third inning and tacked on two more in the fourth.

In the third, a lead off walk to sophomore Makayla Ansell (Menifee, Calif.) followed by three straight hits by Schaefer, junior Angelina Lynch (Taunton, Mass.) and senior Riley Fitzgerald (Swansea, Mass.) gave the Bears a 1-0 lead. Schaefer raced home on a hard ground ball that was mishandled by the Bates shortstop and Lynch scored on an RBI ground out by freshman Isabel Bishop (Lynn, Mass.). Fitzgerald would score the fourth run of the frame when sophomore Sidney Schwartz (Chelmsford, Mass.) reached on a dropped throw at first base.

Ansell singled to lead off the bottom of the fourth and scored all the way from first on an RBI double by Schaefer. Lynch walked but Schaefer was thrown out trying to steal third. Lynch then stole second, stole third and scored the Bears' sixth run on Fitzgerald's RBI ground out.

An RBI single by sophomore Sienna Pietrasiewicz (Norton, Mass.) and a two-run double by junior Sophie Garber (Wellesley, Mass.) closed the gap to 6-3 in the top of the fifth for the visitors.

Junior righthander Olyvia Mendonca (Taunton, Mass.) worked the first five innings in the circle for the Bears to pick up her second win of the season. Mendonca (2-1) allowed three runs on eight hits with three walks and a strikeout.

Bates stranded eight runners on base over the five innings.

Despite darkness falling on Alumni Park, the umpires made the decision to start the sixth inning. With a relief pitcher on for the Bears, freshman Maddy Miller (Norway, Maine) opened the frame with a walk and moved to second on a passed ball. A walk to Yen and a wild pitch put runners at the corner with nobody out, After a pop up, Yen advanced to second on another wild pitch. The umpires then called the game due to darkness with the tying run at the plate.

Freshman righthander Haley Alden (Manchester, N.H.) was saddled with the loss in the circle for the Bobcats. Alden (2-2) allowed four runs (three earned) on five hits with three walks and a strikeout.

Yen (2-3, BB) and Pietrasiewicz (2-3, R, RBI) each recorded multiple hits for Bates in game two. Yen went 5-for-7 with a walk in the twinbill.

Up Next: Both teams open conference play on Saturday afternoon. The Bears head to Framingham State University for a one o'clock MASCAC doubleheader with the Rams, while the Bobcats travel to Wesleyan University for a noontime NESCAC twinbill with the Cardinals.