Softball Sweeps Vermont State Lyndon

By Jim Fenton

LYNDONVILLE, Vt. -- The Bridgewater State University softball team finished its regular-season road schedule by winning a doubleheader.

The Bears took a pair of games from Vermont State Lyndon, 10-0 in five innings, and 7-1.

BSU (16-16) is on its first four-game winning streak since the season-opening trip to South Carolina in March. The Bears are back at the .500 mark for the first time since April 4 when they were 8-8.

Junior Olyvia Mendonca (Taunton, Mass.) allowed two hits for the win in the opener and the Bears took advantage of five errors by the Hornets (6-17).

In the second game, senior McKayla Cusack (West Haven, Conn.) pitched a four-hitter for her sixth victory of the season.

Vermont State Lyndon made six more errors in the nightcap.

Game One: Bridgewater State 10, Vermont State Lyndon 0 (5 Inn.)

The Bears jumped to a 5-0 lead in the first two innings, then added five runs in the fourth.

Mendonca (3-5) struck out one and walked one. She gave up two-out singles in the third to senior Emily Anderson (Levittown, N.Y.) and in the fourth to senior Seairra Anderson (Somersworth, N.H.).

BSU had only six hits with senior Riley Fitzgerald (Swansea, Mass.) getting two of them.

The Bears went up, 3-0, in the first with Fitzgerald contributing a two-run single to center with two outs.

Junior Angelina Lynch (Taunton, Mass.) walked, stole second, went to third on a wild pitch and scored on an infield error.

Sophomore Sydney Schaefer (Swarthmore, Pa.) walked and moved to third on an error and wild pitch.

Senior Amelia Blake (Raynham, Mass.) walked and stole second and scored with Schaefer on Fitzgerald's hit.

In the second, junior Victoria Becker (Abington, Mass.) reached third with two outs on an outfield error and scored when Lynch reached on an infield error. After Lynch stole second, she scored on the third error of the inning.

BSU needed only three hits to score five runs in the fourth.

The Bears loaded the bases when senior Emily Marcotte (North Dighton, Mass.) walked, Becker bunted for a hit and sophomore Makayla Ansell (Menifee, Calif.) was hit by a pitch.

One run scored on a wild pitch and Schaefer had a two-run single. Blake reached on an error for the fourth run and Mendonca added an RBI single to right.

Game Two: Bridgewater State 7, Vermont State Lyndon 1

Cusack allowed two hits in the first inning and one in the third and held Vermont State Lyndon to just a seventh-inning single the rest of the way.

Cusack is now 6-6 after her seventh complete game.

She struck out six and did not walk a batter.

The Hornets took a 1-0 lead in the first inning on an RBI single by senior Blake Southworth (Bethel, Vt.), which scored junior Ann Watkins (Los Angeles, Calif.).

The Bears went ahead, 4-1, in the third, aided by three errors.

Marcotte reached on an error, Becker bunted for a hit and Lynch walked to load the bases.

Blake drove in a run with a single to right and a passed ball made it 2-1. After sophomore Lily Gagnon (East Haven, Conn.) walked, two runs scored on an error on a ball hit to left by freshman Sarah Silvia (East Bridgewater, Mass.).

The Bears added a run in the fifth when Blake walked and pinch runner freshman Ella Haley (Reading, Mass.) went to third on a single by Fitzgerald. The two executed a double steal for a run.

BSU had two unearned runs in the seventh when Blake singled to center and scored when a ball hit by Fitzgerald resulted in two errors. Fitzgerald then scored on a wild pitch.

BSU had just one earned run off losing pitcher Riley McNamara (Manchester, N.H.), who gave up five hits.

The Bears have a non-conference doubleheader at home Thursday against Salve Regina University starting at 2:30 p.m.

Vermont State Lyndon plays a twinbill Friday at 3 p.m. at the State University of New York at Delhi.