Softball Sweeps Salve in Non-Conference Twinbill

NEWPORT, R.I. -- The Bridgewater State University softball team swept a non-conference doubleheader with Salve Regina University on Saturday afternoon at Toppa Field in Newport.

The visiting Bears (8-4) won both games by identical scores of 2-0 with junior pitchers Olivia Hargreaves (Weare, N.H.) and Lily Gagnon (East Haven, Conn.) each recording complete game shutouts.

Salve falls to 1-7 with the pair of setbacks.

Game One: Bridgewater State 2, Salve Regina 0

Hargreaves (1-2) scattered eight hits (all singles), walked two and struck out five to pick up her first win of the season.

Salve left nine runners on base including the bases loaded in the third inning.

The Bears got on the board in the top of the third as senior Angelina Lynch (Taunton, Mass.) tripled to left field with one out and scored on an RBI double to left-center off the bat of junior Sydney Schaefer (Swarthmore, Pa.).

Bridgewater tacked on a run in the sixth as the Bears rallied with two outs. Senior Victoria Becker (Abington, Mass.) walked, stole second and came around to score on an RBI single to right-center by Olyvia Mendonca (Taunton, Mass.).

Senior Caroline Peterson (Halifax, Mass.) suffered the loss for the Seahawks in the complete game effort. Peterson (0-5) gave up the two runs on four hits with four walks and five strikeouts.

Freshman Lillian Bridges (Wesley Chapel, Fla.), junior Emma Plourde (Stratham, N.H.) and senior Skylar Wicklund (Riverhead, N.Y.) notched two hits apiece for the hosts.

Becker and Mendonca reached safely twice for the Bears. Becker walked twice in three plate appearances while Mendonca went 1-for-2 with a walk.

Game Two: Bridgewater State 2, Salve Regina 0

Gagnon (3-0) tossed her second straight shutout to pick up her team-leading third win of the 2026 campaign. She gave up just four hits, walked one and fanned one.

The Bears scored both of the their runs in the top of the fourth inning. Lynch walked to lead off the frame, advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt and to third when junior Makayla Ansell (Menifee, Calif.) reached on a drop fly ball by the right fielder. After Ansell stole second, sophomore Aubrey Carberry (North Dartmouth, Mass.) delivered a clutch two-run single to left field.

The Seahawks threatened in the fourth, fifth and seventh innings.

Plourde doubled to lead off the bottom of the fourth but was thrown out trying to advance to third on a fly out to Becker in right field.

Salve had runners at second and third with two outs in the fifth but couldn't score.

In the seventh, the Seahawks had runners at second and third with one out but Gagnon induced a ground out back to the circle followed by a fly out to Lynch in center to end the game.

Junior Shea Murphy (Westfield, N.J.) pitched well for Salve in the setback. Murphy (1-1) went the distance allowing just two hits and two walks with four strikeouts.

Junior Gracie Keyes (Portsmouth, R.I.) went 2-for-3 to pace the Seahawk offense.

Lynch was the only Bears to reach safely multiple times as she walked twice in three plate appearances.

Up Next: The Bears travel to UMass Dartmouth on Tuesday afternoon for a non-conference doubleheader with the Corsairs starting at 2:30. The Seahawks entertain Johnson & Wales University in a non-conference twinbill tomorrow afternoon with game one getting underway at noon.