Softball swept by Bridgewater in MASCAC play at home 5-1, 8-0

North Adams, MA- The visiting Bridgewater State University softball team swept a MASCAC twinbill from MCLA this afternoon taking the opener 5-1 before handing the Trailblazers 8-0 (6 innings) in game two.  The Bears improve to 19-13 overall and sit at 7-3 in the league.  MCLA is now 11-17 overall and 5-5 in league play.

In the opener, both teams scored runs in the second inning.  Courtney Leddy's single to center scored Cassidy Morrow for a BSU 1-0 advantage.  MCLA wouldn't take long to respond however, as Jenn Sicinski came around to score on a Bear miscue tying the game at 1-1.

The score would remain that way as BSU's Kelly McCarthy and MCLA's Rachel Quackenbush would put up zeroes into the fifth inning when BSU would score the eventual game winner.  McCarthy helped her own cause by drilling an RBI double to left scoring Leddy for a 2-1 Bear advantage.

MCLA would squander a chance to tie it in the fifth when the first two batters reached base.  A flyout to right field would move Rachel Quackenbush to third base putting runners on the corners with just one out.  McCarthy got Michaela Dinicola to groundout, however she moved another runner into scoring position but with two outs.  McCarthy would get Abby Lucas to ground to short for the third out preserving the BSU lead.

The Bears would extend the lead in the seventh inning scoring three times to put the game away.  Morrow had a two run single to highlight the surge.  McCarthy got MCLA in order to end it and give the Bears the win.

The Bears outhit MCLA 12-5 in the contest as Leddy went 3-5 to pace the offense.  Kristyna Flaherty, Morgan Cox, and Kacie Carvalho all had two hits on the day.  McCarthy went the distance allowing just 5 hits and notching 4 strikeouts.  She didn't allow an earned run.

MCLA's Rachel Quackenbush took the loss also going the distance.  She allowed the 12 hits and collected 6 K's on the afternoon.   Of the 5 runs allowed, only two were earned.  Angelica Perfido was the lone Trailblazer with two hits.

In the nightcap, the game was scoreless after three innings of play.  The Bears would break it open scoring 7 times in the fourth inning against MCLA starter Kate Henault and Quackenbush.

Cox's RBI single started the scoring and Karissa Pagan followed suit with an RBI knock of her own.  Morrow, Carvalho, and Leddy all had consecutive run scoring singles while Tara McCann would cap the inning with a two run hit to center field.

The run support was plenty for McCarthy in game two as she allowed just 4 hits in earning the win.  She rarely pitched in trouble and the Bears added another run in the sixth on a passed ball to earn the mercy rule victory.

Pagan had three hits in the nightcap to pace the Bears while Carvalho and McCann each ended with two.

Kate Henault took the loss for MCLA going the first 3.1 innings of play.  

MCLA is back in action on Tuesday when they host Westfield State at 2pm.