Softball Sweeps MASCAC Twinbill with Mass. Maritime

BRIDGEWATER, Mass. -- The Bridgewater State University softball team swept visiting Massachusetts Maritime Academy in a Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) doubleheader on Tuesday afternoon at Alumni Park.  The Bears posted an 8-1 decision in the opener and completed the sweep with an 18-3 victory in the nightcap.

Bridgewater improves to 25-10 on the season and 9-3 in the MASCAC with the pair of wins.  The Bears, who clinched a spot in next week's MASCAC Tournament, are currently in third place in the conference standings.  Mass Maritime falls to 2-21 overall and 0-12 in conference play.

Michaela Ferreira (Fall River, Mass.) and Jennifer Shaw (Brockton, Mass.) paced the Bears ten-hit attack in the opener.  Ferreira was 3-for-3 at the plate, with a double, two runs and three RBI.  Shaw went 2-for-2 as she connected for her team-leading ninth home run of the season, a solo shot in the third.

Bridgewater pushed across a pair of runs in the second on a wild pitch and a Jasmyn McCone (Taunton, Mass.) RBI single.  Mass. Maritime cut the lead in half in the top of the third on Holly McLaughlin's (Belmont, Mass.) run-scoring single.

The Bears answered in the bottom half of the third as Shaw led off the frame with a long home run to left.  Ferreira added an RBI single later in the inning to give the hosts a 4-1 advantage.

Bridgewater closed out the scoring with a four-run fourth inning highlighted by a two-run double off the bat of Ferreira.  Melissa Harmon (Shrewsbury, Mass.) and Jordan McDermott (East Bridgewater, Mass.) added RBI doubles in the frame.

Amber White (Middleboro, Mass.) picked up the win for the Bears in the opener.  White (13-5) scattered six hits and struck out 11 in the complete game effort.

In addition to Ferreira and Shaw, McDermott also finished with multiple hits for BSU as she went 2-for-3.

Crystal Sherman (Charlton, Mass.) and Janelle Beaulieu (Buzzards Bay, Mass.) paced the Mass. Maritime offense with two hits apiece.  Beaulieu also went the distance in the circle for the Buccaneers in the loss.

In the nightcap, Bridgewater put the game well out of reach with a nine-run first inning followed by a six-run second. The Bears banged out 19 hits in the contest led by a 4-for-4 performance by McCone who was a home run shy of hitting for the cycle.  McCone doubled twice, tripled, scored four runs and drove in two.

The game was stopped in the fifth inning due to the eight-run mercy rule.

Harmon also paced the BSU offense in game two as she belted a two-run homer and rapped a two-run single as she went 2-for-4 with two runs and four RBI.  Brianna Strecker (Waterford, Conn.) added three hits and reached safely in four plate appearances.  Strecker scored three runs and drove in a pair.  Shaw, Ferreira and Jocelyn Bettencourt (Plymouth, Mass.) chipped in with two hits apiece.

Meghan Dunn (Colchester, Conn.) allowed just three unearned runs on three hits to pick up the win for the Bears.  Dunn (12-5) did not walk anybody and struck out four.

Bridgewater travels to UMass Dartmouth on Thursday afternoon for a pair of non-conference games with the Corsairs starting at three.  Mass. Maritime entertains Newbury College in a non-league twinbill on Thursday at 3:30.