Bridgewater State State 8, Worcester State 0 - Fifth Inning
Bridgewater State 3, Worcester State 2
Game 1 --- Box Score
Game 2 --- Box Score
Bridgewater, MA --- The Bridgewater State College softball team
captured a share of the MASCAC regular season title as the Bears
swept a doubleheader versus Worcester State College this afternoon
at Alumni Park in Bridgewater.
Bridgewater (25-9, 10-2 MASCAC) took the opening game of the
twinbill by a score of 8-0 with the game being called after the top
of the fifth inning due to the eight-run mercy rule. The Bears
completed the sweep with a 3-2 victory in the nightcap.
In game one, junior Jamie Ducinski (Duxbury, MA) hurled four
shutout innings in the circle for the Bears. Ducinski (6-1)
scattered four hits, walked one and struck out four.
Bridgewater scored in all four innings they came to bat. The Bears
plated four runs in the first on a two-run double by senior Allie
LeBlanc (Somerset, MA) followed by two-run home run from fellow
senior Rachael Sprague (Duxbury, MA).
A run scoring single by sophomore Heather McPherson (Mansfield,
MA) gave Bridgewater a 5-0 lead after two. BSC made it 6-0 in the
third as LeBlanc scored all the way from first on a double by
Sprague.
The Bears rounded out the scoring in the fourth as junior Lauren
Cucinotta (Franklin, MA) drove in two runs with a base hit.
LeBlanc finished 3-for-3 in game one with two runs and two RBI.
Sprague was 2-for-3 a run and three RBI, while sophomore Tracey
Sanko (Windsor, CT) went 2-for-3 and scored two runs.
Senior Stephanie Pierce (Worcester, MA) pitched a scoreless fifth
inning retiring all three batters she faced in relief of
Ducinski.
In game two, senior Alyssa Verronneau (Acushnet, MA) outdueled
Worcester State sophomore Michaella Mahoney
(Shrewsbury, MA) as the Bears’ edged the Lancers, 3-2, to
complete the sweep.
Verronneau (11-4) went the distance allowing two runs on four
hits. She struck out seven batters, walked one and hit two. Mahoney
(8-9) gave up three runs (two earned) on eight hits with no walks
and three strikeouts.
Bridgewater jumped out to a 2-0 lead with a pair of runs in the
bottom of the first. Sanko reached on an error to lead off the
inning, stole second and third and scored on an infield single by
McPherson. McPherson would move to second on a sacrifice bunt and
came around to score on LeBlanc’s RBI single.
The Lancers answered with two runs in the top of the second. With
two outs, sophomore Karen Feeley (W. Springfield,
MA) was hit by a pitch to start the rally. Back-to-back singles by
sophomore Ashley Loomer (Pepperell, MA) and freshman Ashley
Howe (Winchendon, MA) loaded the bases. Freshman
Lauren Besozzi (Milford, MA) then lined a single
up the middle to plate two runs and tied the game up at 2-2.
BSC pushed across the winning run in the bottom of the third. With
one out, LeBlanc singled and moved to second on an infield hit by
Sprague. After a strikeout, junior Meghan Noyes (Stoughton, MA)
lined a single to right field scoring LeBlanc from second.
Worcester threatened in the top of the sixth putting runners on
second and third with only one out. Verronneau got a big strikeout
for the second out of the inning and then induced a ground out to
short to end the inning.
LeBlanc went 2-for-3 in game two with a run and an RBI. With five
hits in the doubleheader, LeBlanc raised her batting average to an
even .500. She has 15 runs batted in over the last eight games and
45 on the season.
Sanko was 1-for-3 with three stolen bases and a run scored in game
two. Her three steals gives her 31 on the season as she continues
to add on to her school single-season record. Noyes finished
2-for-3 with the big game-winning RBI.
Bridgewater will be seeded second in next week’s MASCAC
Tournament. The Bears will host third-seeded Framingham State
College in opening round action next Thursday. Worcester (10-21-1,
4-8 MASCAC) could still get in a spot in the tournament depending
on the outcome of today’s doubleheader between Salem State
College and MCLA.
Release Courtesy of Bridgewater State Sports Information