Softball Sweeps Pair of Games at Fastpitch Dream Spring Classic

By Jim Fenton

LITTLE RIVER, S.C. -- The Bridgewater State University softball team broke into the win column, sweeping a doubleheader on Monday at the Fastpitch Dreams Spring Classic.

The Bears improved to 2-2 by defeating a pair of teams from Pennsylvania, Penn State Abington, 10-2, in a game that lasted five innings due to the mercy rule and Cairn University, 8-1.

Sophomore Aubrey Carberry (North Dartmouth, Mass.) had three triples, including two in one inning, during the twinbill.

Carberry was 5-for-6 with five RBI in the two wins while senior Angelina Lynch (Taunton, Mass.) went 4-for-6 with four RBI.

Junior Makayla Ansell (Menifee, Calif.) was 4-for-7 and drove in two runs while junior Sydney Schaefer (Swarthmore, Pa.) drove in three runs and went 3-for-7 as BSU had 26 hits in the two games.

Junior Lily Gagnon (West Haven, Conn.) was the winning pitcher in the opener while freshman Trinity Andelin (Wilmette, Ill.) won her first collegiate start in the second game.

Game One: Bridgewater State 10, Penn State Abington 2 (5 Inn.)

The Bears scored seven runs in the top of the second and defeated the Nittany Lions (0-1) in a game stopped after five innings due to the mercy rule.

Carberry went 3-for-3 and drove in a pair of runs while senior Olyvia Mendonca (Taunton, Mass.), junior Savanah Dubois (New Bedford, Mass.), Lynch and Schaefer had two hits each.

Lynch drove in three runs and had a double and a triple for the Bears, who held a 14-5 edge in hits.

Gagnon allowed no earned runs and five hits with three strikeouts in five innings.

BSU opened the 7-0 lead in the second when it had six hits.

Carberry got it started with her first triple to right-center field and scored on a single down the right-field line by Gagnon.

Mendonca singled to right and sophomore Isabel Bishop (Lynn, Mass.) walked to load the bases.

With two outs, Lynch drove in two with a double down the left-field line and Schaefer made it 5-0 with a two-run single to center. Carberry finished the scoring in the inning with a two-run triple to left.

Penn State Abington got its two runs in the third inning on an RBI double by junior Isabella Antosiewicz (Hamilton, N.J.) and a sacrifice fly by junior Laney Scotese (Warminster, Pa.).

BSU scored three times in the fourth inning.

Dubois reached on an infield hit and scored on Lynch's triple to right. Junior Makayla Ansell (Menifee, Calif.) contributed an RBI single to left-center.

Pinch hitter Danielle Mello (Swansea, Mass.) added an RBI single to conclude the scoring.

The Nittany Lions managed just one runner in the final two innings against Gagnon.

Game Two: Bridgewater State 8, Cairn 1

The game was tied, 1-1, entering the bottom of the fourth when the Bears scored once, then added a run in the fifth and five more in the sixth.

Ansell went 3-for-4 to lead the 12-hit attack while Lynch was 2-for-2 and Bishop and Carberry added two hits apiece.

Andelin allowed a run and six hits with two strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings and Mendonca had two strikeouts in the final 1 1/3 innings.

The Bears took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first as Lynch was hit by a pitch, stole second, went to third on a hit by Ansell and scored on Carberry's sacrifice fly to right.

The Highlanders (0-1) tied it in the second when junior Sarah Beloyan (Wrightstown, N.J.) drew a bases-loaded walk to bring in sophomore Korina Feliciano (Cherry Hill, N.J.), who had singled.

BSU went in front for good at 2-2 in the fourth as Lynch singled home pinch runner Sarah Silvia (East Bridgewater, Mass.) with two outs. Silvia had replaced Bishop, who had singled.

In the fifth, Carberry tripled to left and scored on a groundout by pinch hitter Arihana Mercado (South Grafton, Mass.), a sophomore.

BSU put the game away with the five runs in the sixth.

The Bears loaded the bases with Bishop singling to right-center, junior Sidney Schwartz (Chelmsford, Mass.) drawing a walk and Lynch getting hit by a pitch.

Schaefer was also hit by a pitch for a run and Ansell had an RBI single to right-center.

Carberry singled through the left side for a pair of runs and Mendonca doubled to left-center for the last run.

BSU continues the spring break trip on Tuesday by facing two more Pennsylvania teams, Immaculata University at 9 a.m. and Lycoming College at 11 a.m.