Burger explodes for huge day, Bulldogs split DH at Wagner Saturday

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – The Bryant University softball game split an afternoon doubleheader at Wagner, taking Game 1, 12-3, in five innings before dropping the second leg, 5-1, Saturday in Staten Island, N.Y, 

GAME 1

Behind a career-high six RBI outburst from sophomore outfielder Taylor Burger (Killingworth, Conn.), the Bulldogs (10-21, 2-2 Northeast Conference) took down Wagner, 12-3, in the first leg on Saturday's double dip.

After finding themselves down 2-0 after two innings, the Black and Gold exploded for 13 runs over the final three innings of the contest en route to the convincing nine-run win.

In a 2-0 hole, the Bryant bats woke up in the top of the third when an Elle Madsen (Wheat Ridge, Colo.) single loaded the bases to set up Hayley Bottino (Canyon Country, Calif.) who drove in sophomore outfielder Haylee Haas (Moorpark, Calif.) on a fielder's choice. With two down and runners on the corners, Burger picked up her first two RBI of the day with a two-run triple, giving Bryant the 3-2 edge. Freshman catcher Robyn Ukegawa (Carlsbad, Calif.) rounded out the inning for the bulldogs with a RBI double to left center, scoring Burger to double up the Seahawks (8-13, 1-5 NEC), 4-2, after two and half innings of play.

After holding the hosts scoreless in the bottom half of the inning, the Black and Gold got back to work in the fourth thanks to pair of homers, first a solo shot from freshman Cassie Mejia (Tucson, Ariz.), before a two-out grand slam from Burger to push the Bulldog advantage to seven runs, 9-2.

Wagner stole back a run in the bottom of the fourth but the Bryant offense was too much as the visitors tacked on three more in the fifth thanks to a Madeline Velasquez (Los Angeles, Calif.) RBI double to right center and a Bottino RBI single to left.

Madsen improved to 6-11 overall on the year, allowing three runs on eight hits to go along with three strikeouts.

GAME 2

The second leg of the double dip sang the complete opposite tune for the Bulldogs, as the visitors managed to push just one run across, falling to the Seahawks, 5-1.

In the top of the first, it seemed as if Bryant would pick up exactly where it had left off in Game 1 with Velasquez belting a solo shot to make it 1-0 early on however, that would serve as the first of only three Bulldog hits.

In the bottom half of the inning, Brenda Bott smashed a three-run blast to give Wagner the 3-1 edge, which is where it would stay until two more solo shots, one from Aerika High in the fourth and Taylor Beeson in the fifth, secured the 5-1 Seahawk victory.

Despite the lack of offense, Burger capped of her big day with a pair of doubles, accounting for two thirds of the Bulldog plate production.

In the circle, Madsen allowed five runs on just six hits to go along with six Ks, while her counterpart McKaleigh Goodale was impressive, allowing just one run on three hits and two walks to improve to 3-4 on the year.

Looking ahead, the Bulldogs will break from NEC play for single games at Albany on Tuesday (3 p.m.) and Brown at home on Wednesday (4 p.m.).