Softball Earns Split With Southern Connecticut Tuesday; Bulldogs Host Adelphi Thursday
April 3, 2007
SOFTBALL SPLITS NORTHEAST-10 DOUBLEHEADER WITH SOUTHERN CONNECTICUT
NEW HAVEN, Conn. - The Bryant University softball team
picked up a split with Southern Connecticut Tuesday afternoon in
New Haven. The Bulldogs earned a 1-0 win in the opener but dropped
a 5-4 decision in the nightcap.
In the opener, Allison Chouinard (Swansea, Mass.)
doubled in the game's only run, scoring Amanda Wilbur from third in
the seventh inning to give the Bulldogs the win. Southern
Connecticut pitcher Jessica Dempsey had a no hitter going into
the fifth inning before allowing a base hit to Bryant's
Ashley Coon (Fairless Hills, PA). Prior to the
hit, Dempsey had retired 14 batters and walked one.
Jessica Valentini (Cliffside Park,
NJ) started the rally with a leadoff single to
righ. Wilbur reached base on a fielder's choice then
stole second to get into scoring position. Lauren McNiff
(Westford, Mass.) hit a ground ball to short stop
Kierstin Pry who threw McNiff out at first. First baseman, Brittany
Gandley's throw was too late into third as Wilbur advanced. Allison
Chouinard followed with a double down the left field line to score
Wilbur from third to go ahead 1-0.
The Owls rallied in the bottom of the inning, looking to tie the
game and send it into extra innings. Monica Savarese led off the
inning with a double that hit the top of the left field fence.
Gandley moved Savarese to third with a sacrifice. Amanda St.
George drove a ball deep to center, enough to allow to Savarese to
tag up and score, but Savarese was ruled out for leaving
early.
Bryant pitcher Janine Enos (Wareham,
Mass.) finished the game allowing three hits and
striking out four in seven innings pitched.
In the second game, Southern Connecticut got on the board early as
freshman Megan Caporossi started the second inning with a triple to
right field then scored on a Savarese hit up the middle. Gandley
followed with a four pitch walk before St. George put down a
sacrifice bunt to advance the runners. Three straight errors made
by the Bryant infield allowed the Owls to get on base and extend
their lead to 4-0 going into the third inning.
In the bottom of the fourth, the Bulldogs rallied back with four
runs of their own. Lindsay Connor (West Haven,
Conn.) led off the inning with a single to leftfield
then stole second. Two batters later, Chouinard stepped up and
belted a grand slam (her fourth home run of the year) to tie the
game at 4-4.
The Owls would score the eventual game winner on a wild pitch in
the fifth and would hold on for the win. Bryant will host
Adelphi in a non-conference doubleheader at the Bryant Softball
Complex Thursday, weather permitting.