Softball Defeats Hillsdale 7-5, Falls to Florida Tech 6-5 in 10 Innings

Softball Finishes Trip to Florida Southern Invitational With Two Wins; Bulldogs bats awaken versus Hillsdale and Florida Tech

March 17, 2007                        Hillsdale Box                               Florida Tech Box

 The Bryant Bulldogs' bats awoke in a big way Saturday afternoon as the team finished up their trip to the Florida Southern Invitational with a win over Hillsdale and a near-miss against Florida Tech.

The Bulldogs knocked 15 hits against Hillsdale and pushed across 7 wins. Senior Nikki Ingalls (Westford, Mass.) (2-0) notched her second win in as many outtings, going 5.2 innings in relief of starter Anne Dobmeier (Buffalo, NY).

Freshmen Alison Chouinard (Swansea, Mass.) and Ashley Coon (Fairless Hills, Penn.) led the Bulldogs offense that erupted after only scoring two runs in the previous three games. Chouinard 3 of 4 with two RBIs and two runs scored batting leadoff in place of senior Lindsay Connor (West Haven, CT). Coon, the freshman catcher, was 2 for 3 with a run and RBI. Sophomore Jennifer Serrano (Stoneham, Mass.) also had a big game at the plate, going 3 for 3 with two runs, a solo home run and a walk.

Alison Chouinard	Jennifer Serrano

The Bulldogs pushed runs across in the first two innings, but the Chargers scored three in the bottom of the second against Dobmeier. However, Ingalls was excellent in relief and the Bulldogs retook the lead again in the fourth and never gave it up again.

In the second game, the Bulldogs gave Florida Tech all they could handle in a 6-5 ten-inning loss. The Bulldogs jumped out to a 4-1 lead but the Panthers rallied late, pushing across runs in the bottom of the fifth, sixth and seventh innings to push it to extra innings.

The Bulldogs scored a run in the eighth but the Panthers scored one in the bottom of the frame to send it to the ninth and eventually tenth innings. In the tenth inning Katie Naumoff singled in Alexandria Wiegand with the winning run.

Junior Janine Enos (Wareham, Mass.) (0-2) went the distance but took the hard luck loss. Senior Briana Durborow (Ringoes, NJ) led the offense, going 2 for 2 with two runs, a hit by pitch and a sacrifice.

The Bulldogs finished their play at the Florida Southern Invitational with an impressive 2-3 record. During last year's trip, the Bulldogs finished 0-5 including losses to Tampa and Hillsdale who they defeated this year.

The Bulldogs next game will be Saturday, March 24 at Dominican.