Spartans take down Bulldogs in doubleheader, 11-3 and 7-1, Tuesday afternoon

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – The Bryant University softball team drops back-to-back games, 11-3, and 7-1, to the University of North Carolina at Greensboro Tuesday afternoon in the Tar Heel State.

Game One

The Bulldogs (0-14) found the initial lead in the first following junior Taylor Burger's (Killingworth, Conn.) single to second base, advancing senior Elle Madsen (Wheat Ridge, Colo.) to third. With two outs, sophomore Maritza Martinez (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.) drove in Madsen off a single up the middle for the Bryant score, 1-0.  In the top of the second, the Bulldogs tacked on two more runs to advance their lead to three. With two outs and a runner on second and third, freshman Kaleigh Goulart (Marion, Mass.) doubled to right center, sending in classmate Jill Staley (Lake Katrine) and sophomore Rachel Monroe (Southwick, Mass.) for the scores.

The Spartans (16-10) answered in the bottom of the second, when Lacey Leary singled to left field, allowing Tory Wright to run in to narrow the gap to two, 3-1, after two innings. The Bulldogs scoring ended in the second, but the Spartans fought on, scoring two runs in the bottom of the third and fourth, respectively, before ending the game in six innings, after plating six scores for the 11-3 final.

Lindsay Thomas kicked off the Spartans scoring frenzy in the sixth, homering to left center to pull the home team ahead by four, 7-3. With one out and a runner on first and second, senior Hayley Bottino (Canyon Country, Calif.) checked in on the mound. An error by Bottino helped Gabrielle Cubbage score, before the Spartans' next batter Kendall McKinney homered to center field, driving in three more runs to finalize the 11-3 UNC Greensboro victory.

Madsen started on the mound for the Bulldogs, allowing nine runs off 12 hits, while striking out five batters in 5.1 innings. Bottino closed out the rest of the inning, giving up two runs off one hit. Alicia Bazonski recorded the Spartans' win on the mound pitching all six innings. Bazonski struck out six Bulldogs, while allowing three runs off six hits.

Game Two

The Spartans were first on the board in game two, leading, 1-0, after Danielle Vega homered to right center for UNCG's first score in the bottom of the first.

The Bulldogs found the tying run in the top of the second, 1-1. With one out and the bases loaded, freshman Gianna Pizzano (Saugus, Mass.) singled to left field, allowing Burger to score the equalizer. Stephanie Bryden helped the Spartans escape the inning on the mound, striking out the next two batters to get the home team out of the pinch.

The Spartans found the go-ahead run in the bottom of the second and UNCG never looked back, tacking on five more runs in the final four innings. The Spartans put a four-score separation, 5-1, between them and the Bulldogs after two home runs in the third led to three more scores for UNCG.

The story of the game was Bryden's performance on the mound, as she limited Bryant's chance to comeback, striking out 13-of-26 batters in seven innings, while letting up only one run off four hits. Freshman Colby Norris (Toano, Va.) pitched all six innings for the Bulldogs, allowing seven runs off eight hits, while striking out three Spartans.