By Jim Fenton

BRIDGEWATER, Mass. -- The Bridgewater State University softball team finished the month of March by losing a non-conference doubleheader.

The Bears were swept by Plymouth State University, 2-1 and 9-3, at Alumni Park Tuesday afternoon.

BSU (11-7) had won nine of its previous 11 games before falling to the Panthers (8-10). The teams were playing for the first time since meeting in Clermont, Fla., six years ago.

Senior Angelina Lynch (Taunton, Mass.) and junior Sydney Schaefer (Swarthmore, Pa.) had four hits apiece in the twinbill for the Bears.

Game One: Plymouth State 2, Bridgewater State 1

Both teams were limited to five hits in the opener.

BSU scored its lone run in the bottom of the first when Lynch bunted for a single, went to second on an interference call and came home on a single down the line in left by Schaefer.

The only other hits for the Bears were a double by sophomore Arihana Mercado (South Grafton, Mass.) and singles by Lynch and senior Ella Staffier (Marshfield, Mass.).

Plymouth State's runs came after the first two batters were retired in the third inning.

Freshman Gianna DiSpirto (Cranston, R.I.) singled down the right-field line and senior Kenzie Bessette (Cranston, R.I.) homered to right-center field.

Winning pitcher Allie Cecere (Plainville, Mass.), a freshman, struck out two and improved to 5-3 in the complete game effort.

Senior Olyvia Mendonca (Taunton, Mass.) took the loss, striking out six with no walks. She is now 3-2.

Game Two: Plymouth State 9, Bridgewater State 3

The Bears trailed, 4-3, entering the sixth but allowed five runs in the final two innings.

BSU outhit Plymouth State, 10-6. Schaefer was 3-for-3 while Lynch and junior Makayla Ansell (Menifee, Calif.) had a pair of hits each.

Plymouth State opened a 4-0 lead in the third inning.

Kenzie Bessette walked and moved to second on a wild pitch while senior Emily Bessette (Cranston, R.I.) singled to left for the first run.

Junior Avery Couch (Fort Worth, Texas) had an RBI double to center and the next two runs scored on groundouts.

BSU responded with two runs in the bottom of the inning.

Schaefer was hit by a pitch and Ansell doubled down the line in left before Mendonca had a two-run single up the middle.

The Bears got within 4-3 in the fourth when Lynch doubled to left-center and scored on a double down the line in left by Schaefer.

But the Panthers went ahead, 6-3, in the sixth on an RBI single to left by Kenzie Bessette with a groundout scoring the second run of the inning.

Plymouth State put the game away in the seventh with three more runs.

An error on a sacrifice bunt scored a run while sophomore Eva Zuber (Lakeville, Mass.) and junior Kennedy Michaud (Auburn, N.H.) brought runs in with sacrifice flies.

Sophomore Mackenzie Griswold (Bath, N.H.) was the winning pitcher, allowing three runs runs and nine hits with four strikeouts in five innings to improve to 1-1.

Freshman Trinity Andelin (Wilmette, Ill.) took the loss, falling to 1-2. She gave up four runs on two hits in three innings.

BSU will be at Framingham State for a twinbill on Saturday at 1 p.m.

Plymouth State travels to Mitchell College for two games next Monday at 3 p.m.