By Jim Fenton

BUZZARDS BAY, Mass. -- The Bridgewater State University softball team improved to 5-1 in the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference Tuesday night.

The Bears swept a doubleheader from the Massachusetts Maritime Academy, 8-2 and 5-2, at Alison Rollins Field.

BSU (14-8) scored twice in the fourth and added three in the seventh to take control of the opener.

In the second game, senior Ella Staffier (Marshfield, Mass.) started in the circle for the first time this season and struck out 11 while going the distance for her first win.

Game One: Bridgewater State 8, Mass. Maritime 2

Senior Angelina Lynch (Taunton, Mass.) and junior Sydney Schaefer (Swarthmore, Pa.) had three hits each for the Bears while Staffier had two hits.

Junior Lily Gagnon (East Haven, Conn.) was the winning pitcher, striking out four while scattering eight hits. She is now 4-0 this season.

The Bears took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first as Lynch bunted for a single and scored on a double by Schaefer, who later scored on a sacrifice fly by sophomore Aubrey Carberry (Dartmouth, Mass.). The double marked Schaefer's 100th collegiate hit.

The Buccaneers tallied a run in the bottom of the inning on an RBI single by senior Hannah Burton (East Bridgewater, Mass.).

BSU went ahead, 3-1, in the third as Lynch tripled and scored on a groundout, but Mass. Maritime matched that in the bottom of the inning on a run-scoring single by senior Kelsey Booker (Corning, N.Y.).

The Bears moved in front, 5-2, in the fourth as Carberry tripled and scored on a two-out hit by Staffier. After Staffier stole second, senior Emily Eastman (Cranston, R.I.) followed with an RBI single.

BSU added three in the final inning with junior Savanah Dubois (New Bedford, Mass.) starting it with a double to center and scoring on Lynch's single.

Carberry had a sacrifice fly later in the inning for a run and senior Victoria Becker (Abington, Mass.) had an RBI single.

Burton and Booker had two hits each for Mass. Maritime.

Game Two: Bridgewater State 5, Mass. Maritime 2

Junior Olivia Hargreaves (Weare, N.H.) gave up two runs and scattered eight hits in the complete game effort for the visitors.  Hargreaves did not issue a walk and fanned a season-high 11 batters.

Carberry went 3-for-3 and drove in a pair of runs for the Bears, who had eight hits. She also stole two bases.

Junior Makayla Ansell (Menifee, Calif.) went 2-for-4 with two doubles, an RBI and a stolen bases for BSU.

BSU led, 1-0, in the first as Ansell doubled with two outs and scored on an RBI triple by Carberry.

The game remained 1-0 until the top of the fifth when the Bears rallied for three runs.

Ansell had an RBI double to center and Carberry drove in a run with a single. Ansell scored on a double steal with Carberry.

Mass. Maritime got on the scoreboard in the sixth inning, getting an RBI hit from senior Ab'c'de Patane (San Diego, Calif.) and a run-scoring double by freshman Abbey Doherty (Taunton, Mass.).

BSU's final run in the seventh came when Lynch singled, stole second, advanced to third on a throwing error and scored on a single by Ansell.

The Bears play again on Saturday when they are at Rhode Island College for a doubleheader at noon.

Mass. Maritime (8-11, 1-5) plays a twinbill Saturday at Worcester State.