Softball Splits With Bridgewater on Patriots' Day

WESTFIELD, Mass.  – Westfield State got a strong pitching performance from Stephanie Scoville (Northfield, Mass./Pioneer Valley) in game 1, and Bridgewater's Kelley Reichert (Milford, Mass.) tossed a shutout in game 2 as the two teams split a MASCAC doubleheader on Patriots' Day afternoon.

Westfield(12-16, 5-3 MASCAC)  prevailed 5-2 in the opener, while Bridgewater (15-14-1, 6-2 MASCAC) took a 2-0 decision in the nightcap.

In the opener, Scoville (W, 5-6) threw a complete game, allowing just five hits and no earned runs while striking out four.  

Westfield opened the scoring in the third as Lindsay Cordopatri (Walpole, Mass.) singled with one out, stole, second and went to third on a throwing error, then scored on Jordyn Lummus' (Pittsield, Mass.) base hit.   The Owls added a single run in the fourth on a single from Lexus Mastomatteo (Shrewsbury, Mass.), who was sacrificed to second by Scoville, then scored on on Megan Metzger's (Uxbridge, Mass./Blacksone Valley) solid single to left center.

The Owls tacked on two more in the fifth, the big blow a double to left center from Mastromatteo that scored Meghan Doyle (Marshfield, Mass.) all the way from third, beating the relay throw to the plate.

Bridgewater pushed a pair of runs across in the top of the sixth, as a throwing error opened the door, but Scoville got a key strikeout of Emma Healey (Plymouth, Mass./North) on a 10 pitch at bat before Amelia Blake (Raynham, Mass./Appoquonet) drove in both runs with a single, and then cleanup hitter Alexandra Ruprecht  (Kingston, Mass./Silver Lake) flew out to center to end the threat.

Reliever McKayla Cusack (West Haven, CT/Laurelton) (L, 3-2) took the loss for the Bears, allowing four runs and six hits in 2.2 innings.

Mastromatteo was the lone repeat hitter for Westfield.

In game 2, Reichert (W, 9-4) allowed just four hits while walking three and striking out four. Westfield's best chance to score came in the fifth when the Owls loaded the bases on a hit and two walks with one out, but Reichert drew an infield fly from Cordopati and line out to center from Lummus to end the threat.

In the sixth, Bridgewater 2B Kerrin McLauglin (Haverhill, Mass.) robbed Colleen Hughes (Hanson, Mass./Whitman Hanson) of a base hit with a sensational diving catch of a line drive up the middle to start the inning, then with a runner at first, the Bears turned a line out into a double play to end the inning.

Bridgewater got single runs in the sixth on a base hit from Megan Sharon (E. Longmeadow, Mass.) a sac bunt and a wild pitch, and Sharon scored on a sacrifice fly to center from McLaughlin.    The Bears added an insurance run in the top of the seventh as Madison Synan (Quincy, Mass.) led off with a single to left center. Pinch runner Janet Jolly (Raynham, Mass./Norton) stole second and eventually scored on a double to left from Madison Flamme (Bethel, Conn./Immaculate).

 Flamme was the lone repeat hitter in the game.

 Westfield's Cordopatri extended her hitting streak to 14 games with a single in the third inning.   Katherine Canty (Natick, Mass.)  (L, 3-5) tossed a complete game for Westfield, five hits and three walks with five strikeouts.

 Westfield will be back in action on Saturday, April 23, hosting a twinbill against Salem State.