Bulldogs drop two in San Diego Wednesday

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – The Bryant University softball team dropped a pair in sunny San Diego, falling to UNC Greensboro, 12-2, and San Diego, 1-0, Wednesday evening.

GAME 1

After taking a 1-0 lead after the first, the Bulldogs (5-14) went on to surrender 12 runs in the final five innings, falling to UNC Greensboro, 12-2, in Game 1 of Wednesday's double dip.

After a 1-2-3 first inning from Bryant starter Hayley Bottino (Canyon Country, Calif.), the Black and Gold got to work in the bottom of the inning sparked by a leadoff single from junior Liana Ogata (Tustin, Calif.) After a ground out moved Ogata into scoring position, junior Elle Madsen (Wheat Ridge, Colo.) laced an RBI single to right field to give Bryant the early 1-0 lead.

However, the rest of the game was all Spartans, as UNC Greensboro went on to score the next 12 runs, outside of a Rachel Monroe (Southwick, Mass.) run on an Ogata ground out in the bottom of the fifth, to coast to the 12-2 victory.

Bottino allowed only five earned runs (eight total) on 13 hits and a walk in 6.1 innings of work while freshman Logan Paul (Shaker Heights, Ohio) allowed four runs on four hits in two-thirds innings in relief.

GAME 2

The second game of Wednesday's double header featured a pitching duel as Madsen allowed only three hits in six innings of work, but it was San Diego who had the last laugh thanks to a Kailey Hill walkoff homer in the bottom of the seventh for the 1-0 win.

Madsen, who was nearly perfect through six innings allowing just three base runners through the first six innings of play, continued her dominant run inside the pitching circle, but once again it was the Bulldog offense who struggled to find their footing, collecting only four hits in seven innings of play.

San Diego's Paige Von Sprecken was almost equally impressive inside the circle, throwing a shutout while allowing just four hits and a pair of walks for her ninth victory of the season.

The Black and Gold struggled to get anything going at the dish with hits from Mollie Anderson (East Greenwich, R.I.), Jessica Benacquista (Belleville, N.J.), Madeline Velasquez (Los Angeles, Calif.), and Robyn Ukegawa (Carlsbad, Calif.) sprinkled through throughout the seven inning game.

Looking ahead, the Bulldogs open play at the Cal State Northridge Tournament on Thursday with their first of five games on the weekend vs. the host Matadors at 6:00 p.m. EST.