By Jim Fenton

BRIDGEWATER, Mass. -- The Bridgewater State University softball team swept a doubleheader Sunday afternoon to move into third place in the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference.

The Bears took a pair of games from the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, 12-4 in five innings in the opener and 3-2 in the second game.

BSU (14-16) is now 6-6 in the MASCAC, tied with Worcester State University (5-5) in third behind Westfield State and Framingham State.

The Bears moved ahead of MCLA (12-18, 5-7 in the conference) with the two wins over the Trailblazers.

It is the second MASCAC doubleheader sweep of the season for BSU.

This was the start of a busy final week of the regular season with the Bears playing four doubleheaders in seven days.

Game One: Bridgewater State 12, MCLA 4 (5 Inn.)

The game was halted after the top of the fifth inning with the Bears having the eight-run lead.

Sophomore Olivia Hargreaves (Weare, N.H.) improved to 6-4, striking out eight with no walks and allowing just six hits.

Senior Amelia Blake (Raynham, Mass.) went 3-for-3 with two RBI, sophomore Sidney Schwartz (Chelmsford, Mass.) went 2-for-2 with a double and three RBI and sophomore Makayla Ansell (Menifee, Calif.) had two hits and two RBI for the Bears.

BSU took a 3-0 lead in the first with Ansell driving in two with a single to left-center and Blake singling home one run.

MCLA scored a run in the second on a homer to left-center by junior Maggie Closinksi (Rome, N.Y.).

The Bears opened an 8-1 lead in the second.

After junior Victoria Becker (Abington, Mass.) walked and Lynch reached on an error, one run scored on a fielder's choice by sophomore Sydney Schaefer (Swarthmore, Pa.).

Blake had an RBI single and Hargreaves walked with the bases loaded before a two-run single through the right side by Schwartz.

MCLA was within 8-4 in the top of the third thanks to an RBI single by junior Ella Staffier (Marshfield, Mass.) and a two-run single up the middle by junior Hailey Peabody (West Springfield, Mass.).

But the Bears answered with four more runs in the bottom of the inning to go up, 12-4.

Schaefer walked and Blake singled and stole second, setting up senior Riley Fitzgerald (Swansea, Mass.) for a two-run single. Fitzgerald scored on an outfield error.

Hargreaves singled and pinch runner Ella Haley (Reading, Mass.), a freshman, scored on a double by Schwartz.

Sophomore Juliana Johansen (Pittsfield, Mass.) allowed four earned runs and four hits in 1 1-3 innings and is now 8-8 after taking the loss.

Game Two: Bridgewater State 3, MCLA 2

The Bears broke a 2-2 tie with an unearned run in the bottom of the sixth inning.

Blake doubled to right-center and pinch runner Haley went to third on a groundout, then scored on an outfield error for the eventual winning run.

MCLA had led, 2-0, in the first with a bunt single by Staffier scoring the first run and an error bringing home the other one.

The Bears tied it in the bottom of the first when senior Emily Marcotte (North Dighton, Mass.) singled up the middle and scored on a homer to center by Lynch.

Sophomore Lily Gagnon (East Haven, Conn.) was the winning pitcher and is now 1-1. She scattered six hits and struck out two.

MCLA had three of its hits off Gagnon in the first inning and managed three singles the rest of the way.

Senior McKayla Cusack (West Haven, Conn.) picked up the save by working a perfect seventh inning.

Peabody took the loss after giving up two earned runs and seven hits with four strikeouts. She is now 4-9.

Lynch led the Bears, going 2-for-3 with the two-run homer. She is tied for Schaefer for the team lead with three dingers.

BSU had a 7-6 edge in hits.

BSU travels to Vermont Tuesday for a non-conference doubleheader with Vermont State Lyndonville at 3 p.m.

MCLA is at Skidmore on Tuesday for two games beginning at 3:30 p.m.