Bears Spoil Senior Day, Sweep Softball

WESTFIELD, Mass. –    Bridgewater State softball swept a doubleheader from the Westfield State University Owls to spoil senior day on Saturday, as the Bears absconded with 6-5 and 8-7 wins, thwarting a pair of late Owls rallies.

In the opener, the Bears attacked for four runs in the first inning, getting RBI doubles from Emma Healy, Kelly Reichert, and Morgan Cournoyer en route to the lead.

The Bears tacked on another run for a 5-0 lead, before Westfield clawed back one run in the fourth with an RBI single from Farrah Adam.  

Adam delivered another rbi single in the sixth to trim the lead to 6-2.  Owls' senior Sarah Meunier ripped a line shot, 2-run home run in the bottom of the sixth to cut the lead to 6-4.

Westfield put two on with one out in the seventh, but had the lead runner cut down at third on an unorthodox fielder's choice play, then cut the lead to just one when Lindsay Cordopatri scored after a throwing error, but Bears starter Reichert induced a ground out from Adam to seal the win.

Rechert (11-5) tossed a compete game, scattering seven hits and striking out 10.

Westfield senior Emily Arredondo (L, 3-7) settled in to throw a complete game after the rocky first inning, yielding eight hits while striking out five.

Reichert and Cournoyer were repeat hitters for the Bears, while Meunier and Adam each had two hits for the Owls.

In game 2, the Bears built leads of 4-0 and 8-4, with the Owls rallying late to trim the final to 8-7. 

Trailing 8-4 in the fifth, Westfield's Alyssa Clark launched a homerun to left field, to cut the lead to 8-5, and in the seventh, Westfield loaded the bases with two out, and Madison Philbrook laced a two run single to left field to cut the lead to 8-7, but Bridgewater's defense alertly cut off the throw to the plate and nabbed an Owls runner who overran second on the play for the final out of the game.

The Bears staked themselves to a 4-0 lead in the first, getting a towering 2-run home run from Alex Ruprecht, and Cournoyer followed with solo shot down the left field line.

Emma Healy added a 2-run single in the sixth.

Starter Molly Thibaudeau (W, 1-0) tossed a complete game for Bridgewater, working around 11 hits nd two walks with three strikeouts.

Westfield State freshman Kiki Carrigan (0-1) started and went two innings in taking the pitching loss.

Megan Sharon finished with three hits for the Bears, Cournoyer and Janet Jolly added two each.  Clark rapped out three hits for the Owls, while Cordopatri and Skylar Dutra had hits apiece.   Philbrook finished with three runs batted in.