WESTFIELD – Westfield State softball bounced back with a 2-1 win in game 2 to split a MASCAC doubleheader with Bridgewater State on Saturday afternoon.
Bridgewater claimed game 1 by a 14-1 score behind two home runs from Shannon Grindle.
Westfield is now 14-18 overall and finishes MASCAC play with a 9-5 record. Bridgewater is 17-17 and 9-5 in the MASCAC as well. Both teams will await playoff seedings later tonight pending the outcome of all of today’s games, with both teams vying for home seeds and a potential first round bye.
In the night cap, Owls sophomore starting pitcher Emily Woodworth allowed just one run on five hits to earn the win.
Westfield State softball recognized its seniors before Saturday’s doubleheader. (Photo courtesy of Westfield State University Sports)
Westfield scored both runs in the first inning off of Bridgewater pitcher Natalie Sorrenti (8-2), who tossed complete games in both ends of the twinbill.
The Owls loaded the bases, then scored an unusual run on Caitlin Hughes’ looping pop fly to third, which was called for an infield fly. Bridgewater third baseman Courtney Gouveia dove to try to catch the ball, which she could not, and the ball rolled about 10 feet away allowing the Owls runners to advance, scoring Bri Tortora from third base.
Kayla Soucie followed with a walk later in the inning to score Maddy Atkocaitis with the only other Owls run of the game.
Bridgewater scored it’s only run in the fourth as pinch-runner Julianne Coleman scored from third on a passed ball.
In the opener, Bridgewater pounded the Owls with nine extra base hits, on seven doubles and the two home runs from Grindle. Grindle’s solo shot in the first inning to the opposite field over the scoreboard in right field gave Bridgewater a 1-0. The Bears added single runs in the second, third and fourth innings, then three in the fifth when Grindle launched a mammoth shot some 40 feet over the six-foot high fence in left field.
Westfield scored its lone run in the fourth, as Lindsay Cordopatri sliced a triple into the right field corner, and scored on Atkocaitis’ sacrifice fly. The RBI was the 100th of Atkocaitis’ career, and she will graduate as the Owls all-time leader in that category.
Freshman starting pitcher Emily Arredondo (6-9) took the loss for the Owls.
Sorrenti earned her eighth win of the season, limiting Westfield to just three hits and did not walk a batter while striking out four. Jenny Heller and Alexandra Ruprecht each had four hits and two double apiece for the Bears, with Ruprecht driving in five runs. – Courtesy of Westfield State University Sports
