BRIDGEWATER, Mass. – The Bridgewater State University softball team swept a non-conference slugfest with visiting Westfield State University on Friday afternoon at windy Alumni Park. The Bears won the opening game of the doubleheader in walk-off fashion, 13-12, and completed the sweep with a 14-6 walk-off, mercy rule victory in five innings in game two.

 

Bridgewater improves to 9-7-1 on the season as the Bears extended their winning streak to eight games which includes six straight wins against the Owls. Westfield falls to 8-14 with the pair of setbacks. 

 

Game One

 

Kelley Ruprecht's (Milford, Mass.) walk-off double with one out in the bottom of the seventh inning lifted the Bears to a dramatic 13-12 come-from-behind win in game one.

 

Emma Healy (Plymouth, Mass.) went 4-for-5, with a pair of doubles, a stolen base, two RBI and two runs scored (including the game-winner) to lead the Bears to the victory, while Alexandra Ruprecht (Kingston, Mass.) went 3-for-4 with a home run, double, three runs and two RBI.

 

Reichert not only drove in the winning run, but also earned the win in relief. Reichert (9-5) allowed five runs (three earned) on nine hits over six innings with no walks and seven strikeouts. She went 2-for-4 at the plate with the game-winning double and a run scored. 

 

The two teams combined for 25 runs and 35 hits (13 doubles) in a game in which the Bears trailed 7-1after two innings of play.

 

The Owls jumped on top with three runs in the top of the first on back-to-back RBI doubles by Emily Arredondo (Woburn, Mass.) and Alyssa Clark (Uxbridge, Mass.), and an RBI single off the bat of Farrah Adam (West Springfield, Mass.).

 

The Bears answered with a run in the home half of the first as Megan Sharon (East Longmeadow, Mass.) led off the frame with a base hit, advanced to third on a Healy double and raced home on an RBI ground out by Ava Novakoski (Auburn, Mass.).

 

The Owls sent nine batters to plate in a four-run second inning to open up a 7-1 lead. Adam highlighted the inning with a two-run double, while Arredondo and Skylar Dutra (Mashpee, Mass.) added RBI hits in the frame.

 

Bridgewater rallied for five runs in the bottom of the third to make it a one-run game as nine Bears batted in the inning. Reichert singled to lead off the frame and scored all the way from first on Madison Synan's (Quincy, Mass.) RBI double. The Bears then loaded the bases with two outs on a double by Ruprecht and a walk to Morgan Cournoyer (Burrillville, R.I.). A two-run single by Kerrin McLaughlin (Haverhill, Mass.) and a Westfield throwing error cleared the bases and Janet Jolly (Raynham, Mass.) followed with an RBI single to cut the deficit to 7-6

 

Westfield answered with three runs in the top of the fourth to push lead back up to 10-6. Adam doubled home a run and later scored on Jess Chenard's (Auburn, Mass.) sacrifice fly. A pair of BSU throwing errors resulted in the third run of the inning.

 

A two-run home run by Ruprecht well over the centerfield fence made it a 10-8 game in the bottom of the fourth.

 

Lindsay Cordopatri (Walpole, Mass.) doubled to lead off the top of the fifth, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt and scored on Clark's sacrifice fly give the Owls an 11-8 lead.

 

Healy's clutch two-out, two-run single in the bottom of the fifth pulled the Bears to within a run at 11-10.

 

The Owls took advantage of two more BSU errors in the top of the sixth to push across an unearned run and extend the lead to 12-10.

 

The Bears tied it in the home half of the sixth. A double by Synan and a bunt single by Ruprecht put runners at second and third with nobody out. Madison Dana (Lynn, Mass.) followed with a double to the gap in the left-centerfield to plate bother runners and knot the score.

 

That would set the stage for the seventh inning walk-off heroics. With one out, Healy lined a base hit through the left side. Reichert then rifle a double to the gap in left-centerfield with Healy scoring all the way from first with the game-winning run.

 

Three Westfield pitchers combined to give up 13 runs (12 earned) on 18 hits with a walk and a strikeout. Kayla Castellano (Bethpage, N.Y.) picked up the loss in relief as she faced three batters in the seventh inning.

 

Synan (2-4, 2 2B, R, RBI), Cournoyer (2-3, BB, R) and McLaughlin (2-4, 2R, 2RBI) also finished with multiple hits for the Bears.

 

Cordopatri (3-5, 2B, 2SB, 3R), Arredondo (3-4, 2 2B, 2R, 2RBI) and Adam (3-5, 2 2B, R, 4RBI) each tallied three hits apiece for the Owls.

 

Game Two

 

The BSU offense continued to shine in game two as the Bears banged out 12 hits and capitalized on six walks and a hit by pitch.

 

Ruprecht went 2-for-2 and capped off the game with her third home run of the season and seventh of her career. She also walked twice, scored three runs and drove in three.

 

McLaughlin (2-2) cracked a pair of two-run doubles and was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded as she drove in five runs and scored two. Jolly, Cournoyer and Synan also highlighted the Bears' offensive outburst in game two. Jolly went 2-for-3 with a double, stolen base, run and four RBI, while Cournoyer (2-2, 2BB) reached safely in all four plate appearances and scored three runs, and Synan went 2-for-3 with two runs and an RBI.

 

Reichert picked up her eighth straight win as she tossed three scoreless innings of relief. Reichert (10-5) gave up just two hits, walked one and fanned four.

 

The Bears came from behind once again as they trailed 4-0 after one and 6-4 after two innings of play.

 

A pair of two-run doubles by McLaughlin and Jolly in the bottom of third erased the 6-4 deficit and put the Bears up for good.

 

Bridgewater tacked on four more runs in the fourth to extend the lead to 12-6. McLaughlin was hit with the bases loaded, Jolly cracked a two-run single and Sharon added an RBI single in the frame.

 

Ruprecht belted a two-run homer over the left-centerfield fence to wrap up the eight-run mercy rule victory with one out in the bottom of the fifth.

 

Brenna Welch (Halifax, Mass.) was tagged with the loss in the circle for Westfield in game two. Welch (2-6) allowed 12 runs (11 earned) on ten hits with six walks and a strikeout.

 

Jordyn Carpenter (Mashpee, Mass.) went 3-for-3 with a double, stolen base and RBI  to pace the Owls' nine-hit effort. Arredondo (2-3, 2B, SB, R, RBI) also record multiple hits for the visitors in the nightcap.

 

Up Next: The two teams will meet up again on Saturday out in Westfield with game one of the non-conference twinbill getting underway at noon.