By Jim Fenton
LITTLE RIVER, S.C. -- The Bridgewater State University softball team was overtaken by Delaware Valley University, 4-3, at the Fastpitch Dreams Spring Classic Sunday afternoon.
The Bears held a 3-0 lead but allowed four runs over the final three innings with the Aggies breaking a 3-3 tie in walk-off fashion in the bottom of the seventh inning.
The second game of the day, against Lancaster Bible College of Pennsylvania, was suspended in the top of the fifth inning due to rain.
BSU is holding an 8-2 lead over the Chargers. Depending on the schedules of the two teams, the game may resume later this week.
The Bears play a doubleheader on Monday, facing Penn State Abington at 9 a.m. and Cairn University at 11 a.m.
Game One: Delaware Valley 4, Bridgewater State 3
The Bears held a 3-0 lead the fifth inning but could not hold off the Aggies (3-1) and fell to 0-2.
BSU was limited to three hits, two by senior Victoria Becker (Abington, Mass.) and one by sophomore Aubrey Carberry (North Dartmouth, Mass.).
The Bears opened a 2-0 lead in the top of the second as Becker singled up the middle, stole second and third and junior Lily Gagnon (East Haven, Conn.) was hit by a pitch and stole second.
They both scored on an infield error on a ball hit by sophomore Isabel Bishop (Lynn, Mass.).
BSU went up, 3-0, with a run in the fourth as Becker tripled to left and came home on a fielder's choice by Gagnon.
That was the end of the scoring for the Bears, who had four baserunners in the last three innings.
Delaware Valley moved within 3-1 in the bottom of the fifth as senior Tori Bockrath (Collegeville, Pa.) singled, went to second on a groundout and scored on a single through the left side by freshman Tessa Fredericks (Easton, Pa.).
The Aggies tied it at 3 in the sixth inning as junior Jillian Colins (Selbyville, Del.) and senior Kenzie Boyd (Lurgan, Pa.) singled and senior Angelina Bresnen (Morrisville, Pa.) walked to load the bases.
Senior Madison Donnelly (Marlton, N.J.) delivered one run with a sacrifice fly and a groundout by Bockrath tied the game.
Delaware Valley scored the winning run in the seventh on a single up the middle by Boyd with the bases loaded.
Junior Olivia Hargreaves (Weare, N.H.) allowed three runs and five hits in the first six innings for BSU while freshman Trinity Andelin (Wilmette, Ill.) pitched one-third of an inning in the seventh.
Senior Morgan Mecham (Blackfoot, Idaho) struck out six in six innings for the Aggies.
Game Two: Bridgewater State 8, Lancaster Bible 2 (suspended)
The Bears scored two runs each in the first and second innings and four more in the fourth before the rain forced a delay and eventually a suspension.
Senior Angelina Lynch (Taunton, Mass.) went 2-for-2 with three runs scored, Carberry had two hits with two RBI, junior Sydney Schaefer (Swawrthmore, Pa.) had two hits and junior Makayla Ansell (Menifee, Calif.) drove in two runs.
Junior Lily Gioiosa (North Dartmouth, Mass.) had four strikeouts and scattered five hits in four inning.