Bulldogs drop both to Huskies, 2-0, and 15-2, on Wednesday afternoon in Storrs

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – After being held scoreless, 2-0, in game one of the doubleheader at Connecticut, the Bryant University softball team allowed seven runs in the second inning alone, losing, 15-2, in game two of the series, Wednesday afternoon in Storrs.

Game One

The Bulldogs (1-23) faced a 1-0 deficit after the Huskies (13-20) first offensive opportunity in the bottom of the first. With one out and a runner on second, Lexi Gifford doubled through the left side, sending the runner in for the UConn 1-0 advantage. The Bulldogs helped themselves out of the inning after senior Hayley Bottino (Canyon Country, Colo.) threw it to sophomore Gianna Pizzano (Saugus, Mass.) for the out at home, before Dominique Pinto flied out to centerfield.

UConn put some more distance between them and the Bulldogs as Pinto scored off a sacrifice fly to right field by Alyssa Gardea to make it 2-0 after four innings of play.

The Bulldogs finally recorded a hit in the top of the sixth, as Bottino singled to left field, before redshirt freshman Brandi Burgin (Santa Clarita, Calif.) singled to the shortstop. Bryant was unable to translate its only two hits of the game into runs, leading to the Huskies 2-0 win over the Bulldogs in game one of the doubleheader.

Bottino received the start on the mound, allowing two runs off six hits in four innings. Burgin checked in for Bottino in the final two innings, letting up a single hit. Kayla Doty recorded the win on the mound for the Huskies as she helped the home team hold Bryant to only two hits in her seven innings of play.

Game Two

The Huskies went on a scoring frenzy in game two of the matchup, totaling 15 runs off 12 hits, including seven scores in the second inning to put the game out of reach.

UConn took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first after Pinto reached first on an error by the shortstop, allowing Alyson Ambler and Taylor Townsend to both score unearned.

In the bottom of the second, the Huskies took a commanding 9-0 lead, beginning with Townsend's 2 RBI double to right field. The Huskies' bats stayed hot as Gifford hammered a three-run homer to left field to make it 7-0. With two outs Jacklyn Dubois doubled to center field, sending Gardea in for the score. Heather Fyfe followed suit, drilling the triple to center, allowing Dubois to come in for a run of her own to set a 9-0 score before the start of the third.

Dubois's single to right field brought in Gardea and Ambler for the Huskies 11-0 edge in the bottom of the third.

The scoring didn't end there as UConn tacked on four more runs in the bottom of the fourth, including three-run homer by Dubois, who finished with six RBI on the day. The homer helped the Huskies to a 15-0 lead, heading into the fifth.

The Bulldogs came alive in the top of the fifth, loading the bases after sophomore Maritza Martinez (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.) singled to right field, advancing freshman Chaney Jones (Dover, Del.) to second and sophomore Robyn Ukegawa (Carlsbad, Calif.) to third. Bottino hammered a two RBI double to center field, plating Jones and Ukegawa to help the Bulldogs escape a scoreless outing, 15-2.

Freshman Colby Norris (Toano, Va.) got the start on the mound, allowing seven runs off three hits as she moves to 1-9 on the season. Sophomore Logan Paul (Shaker Heights, Ohio) let up four runs off six hits in 1.2 innings pitching, while Burgin allowed four runs off three hits in her 1.1 innings on the mound. UConn's Chelsea Eckert found her fifth win of the season, allowing two runs off five hits, while striking out three batters in her five innings of play.