MCLA Falls at Bridgewater

Behind the pitching of junior Tracey Sanko (Windsor, CT) and senior Jamie Ducinski (Duxbury, MA), the Bridgewater State College softball team swept a doubleheader with visiting MCLA this afternoon at Alumni Park in Bridgewater.  The Bears posted a 4-0 victory in the opener and completed the sweep with a 9-3 win in game two.

Bridgewater State improves to 14-18 overall and 6-4 in the MASCAC with the pair of wins, while MCLA slips to 11-21 on the season and 3-7 in conference play.

Sanko (3-1) was impressive in the 4-0 game one victory as she hurled six shutout innings, allowing just one hit while walking one and striking out a career high 11 batters.

The Bears broke a scoreless tie with a run in the fourth inning as freshman Jennifer Shaw (Brockton, MA) belted a one-out triple to centerfield and scored on an RBI ground out off the bat of fellow rookie Brianna Strecker (Waterford, CT).

Ducinski would come on to pitch a scoreless seventh inning to secure the win for the Bears.

Sophomore Hadley Ameen (North Adams, MA) suffered the loss in the circle for MCLA.  Ameen (8-11) allowed four runs on eight hits over six innings with three walks and three strikeouts. Amber Coburn (Colrain, MA) had the Trailblazers only hit in game one going 1-2.

In game two, Ducinski came on in relief of starter Meghan Dunn (Colchester, CT) with one out in the first and the Bears trailing 3-0.  Ducinski promptly shut down the Trailblazers the rest of the way as she threw 6 2/3 innings of no-hit ball with a pair of walks and seven strikeouts.

The Trailblazers scored thanks to four singles in the inning. Sarah Greenwood and Kayla Koumjian (Watervliet, NY) led off with singles and Kate Oullette (Norwood, MA) and Kendra Hobbs followed up later in the inning.

Bridgewater answered MCLA's three-run first by scoring six times in the bottom half of the inning. Sanko started the rally with a leadoff triple to centerfield and scored on sophomore Jordan McDermott's (East Bridgewater, MA) infield single. 

Freshman Kendra Hobbs (Haverhill, MA) paced the MCLA offense as she went 1-for-2 with a first inning two-run single. First-year pitcher Sarah Greenwood (Northfield, MA) took the loss for the Trailblazers as she gave up nine runs on 12 hits and two walks with three strikeouts.

Bridgewater State will host a MASCAC doubleheader with Mass. Maritime Academy on Tuesday afternoon starting at 3:30 PM.   MCLA travels to Westfield State on Tuesday for a 2 PM conference twin bill with the Owls.