BRIDGEWATER, Mass. – An offensive onslaught and dominant pitching powered the UMass Dartmouth softball team to a doubleheader sweep at Bridgewater State on Tuesday evening. The Corsairs posted a 12-0 (5 inn.) win in game one, followed by a 6-0 effort in game two, improving to 10-4 on the season. The Bears fall to 2-10 on the season.
The Corsairs jumped out to the early lead in game one as in the top of the second as a sacrifice fly to right by rookie center fielder
Sydney Menz scored graduate student and pitcher
Jill Richards for the 1-0 advantage. In the third, catcher
Lindsay Chubbuck drilled a double down the left field line, pushing the score to 2-0.
UMD broke open the game in the top of the fourth, beginning with a flyout to left from junior designated player
Dyonna Rodas, who scored rookie third baseman
RaeLynn Perregaux. Grad student and shortstop
Leah Major was up next with a single up the middle, driving in Menz, as sophomore second baseman
Larissa Piessens dropped a double down the left field line to drive in two for the 6-0 advantage.
The Corsairs closed out the game in fine fashion in the top of the fifth inning as rookie
Lena Tsonis pinch hit, sending a sacrifice fly to right to score home Richards. That play was quickly followed by a reach from Rodas as her shot to left field was dropped, giving her first. An error by the outfield allowed her to take second as two came home for the 9-0 margin.
Chubbuck then reached first on a dropped fly by the shortstop, scoring a pair of runs as Richards closed out the game's scoring with a single up the middle, driving in rookie
Emma Talpey for the 12-0 score.
In the circle, Richards was outstanding to close it out, getting two Bears to strikeout, while a grounder to third concluded the opening game.
Richards went 2-for-4 with two runs scored and an RBI, adding a one-hit effort over 5.0 innings in the circle. She struck out nine batters overall with no walks allowed. Piessens went 2-for-3 at the plate with a run scored and two RBIs, while Menz was 1-for-1 with two runs scored and an RBI.
For Bridgewater, Madison Dana went 1-for-2 in the game with the Bears only hit. In the circle, Madelyn Klingel shouldered the loss, allowing six runs (2 earned) on seven hits over 3.2 innings. She struck out one and walked two. Tatiana Burcy came on in relief, allowing six runs (0 earned) on two hits with three walks in 1.1 innings.
Game two saw the hot hitting continue as junior first baseman
Hailey Lyons hit a two-run homer over the left center wall. The score stayed 2-0 until the top of the sixth as Chubbuck sent a sacrifice fly to right field, scoring Major for the Corsairs third run.
Richards was up next sending another sacrifice to right that scored Piessens from third. Lyons came around again, driving an RBI single to the pitcher for the 5-0 lead. In the seventh, sophomore infielder
Emily Wilkinson grounded out to short, but Rossetti scored to make it a 6-0 game.
Lyons went 2-for-3 in the game, adding a run scored and three RBIs, while Perregaux was 2-for-3 with two runs scored. In the circle, junior Kailtyn Shirshac pitched another gem, allowing just three hits and no runs over 6.0 innings. She also had seven strikeouts and no walks. Sophomore
Rahne Turley came on for the final inning, allowing one hit.
For the Bears, Cusack shouldered the loss, allowing five runs on seven hits over 5.2 innings of work. She had a strikeout and allowed no walks. Silva pitched the final 1.1 innings, allowing one run on two hits with a strikeout.
The Corsairs return to action on Saturday, traveling to Norton, Mass., for a doubleheader against the Lyons. Game one is set for a 12pm start.
