Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 BRIDGEWATER, Mass. – After narrowly falling 3-2 in extra innings in game one, UMass Dartmouth (18-7) softball rebounded for 10 runs in just five innings in game two, earning a doubleheader split with non-conference opponent Bridgewater State (12-12) on the road on Wednesday.
Bridgewater State 3, Corsairs 2 – 8 innings
Senior Shannon Orton (Swansea, Mass.) connected for a sacrifice fly in the top of the eighth inning to give UMass Dartmouth a one-run lead, but the Bears responded with two runs in their at-bat to secure a 3-2 walk-off victory in the first game.
Orton and junior Marissa Spinuzzi (Fair Lawn, N.J.) drove in their side's runs, while sophomore Hannah Smith (Attleboro, Mass.) fell to 10-3 on the year in the circle, allowing just one earned run and eight hits while striking out four.
Both squads were able to get on base early, but stranded several runners until the Corsairs came to bat in the third. Orton singled to right field to load the bases with just one out, before Spinuzzi sent a ball to left field in the next at-bat to score freshman Maddie O'Gryzek (Norfolk, Mass.) from third.
Bridgewater State struck back in the bottom of the fourth, tying the game at one. Freshman Jenny Heller (Taunton, Mass.) laid down a sacrifice bunt, advancing Morgan Cox (Dennis Port, Mass.) to second. Cox then scored off the bat of sophomore Kristyna Flaherty (Burlington, Mass.), who doubled to left field.
Smith and Bear pitcher Kelly McCarthy (Burlington, Mass.) combined to allow just two hits through the next two innings, forcing extra frames. UMass Dartmouth catcher Gracie Trudeau (Dartmouth, Mass.) began three straight outs in the bottom of the seventh for the Corsair defense, catching a Bear runner stealing before a fly-out and Smith strikeout.
The Corsairs began the eighth on a single from freshman Jill Miller (Freetown, Mass.), advancing O'Gryzek to second. Orton then knocked a ball with enough distance to send O'Gryzek home. The Bears were able to exit with two runners left on base.
Samantha LoPilato (Medford, Mass.) led off BSU's at-bat with a single, moving the placed runner Courtney Leddy (Saugus, Mass.) from second to third. With the bases loaded two batters later, McCarthy singled up the middle, which plated LoPilato before Leddy scored on a fielding error.
McCarthy tossed the full game, permitting just six hits and one earned run while fanning four. Five different Corsairs registered a single hit in the outing.
Corsairs 10, Bridgewater State 4 – 5 innings
UMass Dartmouth was led by Miller's 3 RBI on a 3-for-3 performance in an offensive flurry, as three additional Corsairs drove in two runs to support Orton in the circle. Spinuzzi went 2-for-4 with 2 RBI, while Orton and Trudeau each plated a pair of runs on a hit apiece.
The Corsairs wasted no time in putting numbers on the board in the first. O'Gryzek reached on a fielding error with one out, and was promptly driven home by Miller, who smacked her first double to left field. An Orton groundout put Miller on third, who scored on the next at-bat when Spinuzzi sent a hit up the middle.
Both teams unloaded offensively in the third inning. O'Gryzek and Miller registered back-to-back doubles to lead off the frame, and Orton then tripled to put the Corsair advantage at 5-0. The fourth batter, Spinuzzi, plated Orton on a single before the Bears would make a pitching change. Sophomore Alexandra Wright (Lakeville, Mass.) was able to toss the Bears into the hitting role without any more damage. Three hits, including a LoPilato triple, gained three runs back for the hosts to close the frame.
UMass Dartmouth continued to knock away at BSU in the next two innings, scoring five more runs. In the fourth, the Corsair baserunners took advantage of two Bear errors to score a run on a wild pitch and load the bases for Trudeau. She took advantage and singled through the right side, scoring Orton and Miller.
Orton received a three-up, three-down from her defense in the bottom of the fourth. Another Miller single and a groundout from Orton each earned RBIs to up the Corsair lead to 10-3 in the fifth. Cox would register an RBI single in the bottom of the inning before the game was called due to darkness.
In the circle, Orton struck out six while allowing seven hits as all four runs against were earned. Junior Kathleen Bailey (Bayport, N.Y.) took the loss in two innings, allowing six hits and three earned runs, as Wright surrendered two earned runs on as many hits in three frames of work.
The Corsairs are set for another doubleheader against a MASCAC team tomorrow, hosting Salem State for a pair beginning at 3:30 p.m.
