Softball Swept by RIC

By Jim Fenton

BRIDGEWATER, Mass. -- The Bridgewater State University softball team managed just one run and nine hits while losing a non-conference doubleheader Thursday afternoon.

The Bears lost to Rhode Island College, 2-1, in the opener and then dropped a 7-0 decision in the nightcap at Alumni Park.

BSU (8-12) has lost seven straight games while RIC improved to 14-9-1.

Game One: Rhode Island College 2, Bridgewater State 1

Senior Abby Kidd (Granby, Conn.) pitched a three-hitter and struck out 10 while walking only one for the Anchorwomen.

The Bears were in front, 1-0, in the first inning when junior Angelina Lynch (Taunton, Mass.) homered with one out. For Lynch, the home run marked her second of the season and third in a BSU uniform.

RIC tied it in the second inning when graduate student Victoria Young (Granby, Conn.) doubled to left-center and scored on a singled to left by freshman Jillian Guilfoyle (Derby, Conn.).

The score remained 1-1 until the sixth when the Anchorwomen went ahead without getting a hit.

Sophomore Rylie Forcier (Woonsocket, R.I.) walked, moved to second on a groundout and to third on a wild pitch. He scored the winning run on a groundout by Guilfoyle.

Kidd set down the final 11 BSU batters after a one-out single in the fourth inning by sophomore Sydney Schaefer (Swarthmore, Pa.).

Lynch had the only other hit for the Bears, an infield hit in the third, while senior Emily Marcotte (North Dighton, Mass.) reached base with a walk.

Junior Olyvia Mendonca (Taunton, Mass.) fell to 2-3, allowing two runs and eight hits in six innings. Sophomore Lily Gagnon (East Haven, Conn.) pitched one inning of relief.

BSU graduate student Janet Jolly (Taunton, Mass.) threw out two runners from her right field position. Jolly cut down a runner at the plate on a fly out in the fifth and nailed a runner attempting to go from first to third on a base hit in the sixth.

Game Two: Rhode Island College 7, Bridgewater State 0

BSU had six hits in the loss with junior Victoria Becker (Abington, Mass.) getting two of them, including a double.

Winning pitcher Ashleigh von der Linden (Stratham, N.H.), a sophomore, improved to 7-3, striking out eight and walking one.

Senior McKayla Cusack (West Haven, Conn.) started for the Bears, going 5 2-3 innings, while Gagnon pitched the final 1 1-3 innings. BSU pitching allowed seven runs (five earned) on seven hits.

RIC took a 1-0 lead in the first on a sacrifice fly by sophomore Melanie Early (Lumberton, N.J.) after junior Noelle Simmons (Goffstown, N.H.) reached on an error and moved up on a single by senior Amanda Conti (Lincoln, R.I.).

The Bears loaded the bases with nobody out in the home half of the first but couldn't score. von der Linden recorded back-to-back strikeouts and induced a soft liner to second to get out of the jam.

The advantage went to 3-0 in the second on a sacrifice fly by sophomore Reilly Austin (Cumberland, R.I.) and an RBI single by senior Sarah Mickelson (New Milford, Conn.).

The Anchorwomen took a 6-0 lead in the sixth as Earley hit a solo homer and Mickelson had a two-run double down the left field line.

The scoring concluded in the seventh as junior Sophia Crudale (Cranston, R.I.) walked and moved to third on a passed ball and a throw and scored on a groundout.

In addition to the two hits by Becker, the Bears had singles from sophomore Makayla Ansell (Menifee, Calif.), Jolly, senior Amelia Blake (Raynham, Mass.) and Marcotte.

BSU is idle until Monday when it hosts Fitchburg State in a doubleheader starting at 3 p.m. The games have been moved from Saturday due to the forecast of rain.

RIC plays a doubleheader at home on Tuesday against Plymouth State starting at 4 p.m.