FIVE HOMERUNS PROPEL BULLDOGS TO SERIES SWEEP OF SAINT FRANCIS (PA) SUNDAY

April 18, 2010

Box Score #1 / Box Score #2

FIVE HOMERUNS PROPEL BULLDOGS TO SERIES SWEEP OF SAINT FRANCIS (PA) SUNDAY

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – The Bryant University softball bats came alive Sunday afternoon as the Bulldogs hit a total of five homeruns at Saint Francis (Pa.) to complete the series sweep of the Red Flash. The Bulldogs shutout SFU 6-0 in the first game of the doubleheader and came from behind to win 8-5 in the nightcap.  

After losing 14 games in-a-row earlier this season, the Bulldogs have now won four of their last six and three in-a-row. Bryant improves to 7-29 with the wins Sunday afternoon and 4-11 in Northeast Conference play. The Red Flash drops to 10-33 overall and 2-12 in the conference. Bryant outhit the Red Flash 22-11 on the afternoon.

Senior Captain Ali Chouinard hit the game-winning three-run homerun on Sunday at Saint Francis (Pa.)

After hitting the game-winning double on Saturday at Robert Morris, senior tri-captain Ali Chouinard (Swansea, Mass.) hit her first two homeruns of the season on Sunday. Chouinard’s second dinger, a three-run shot in the top of the seventh of game two, turned out to be another game-winner for the Black and Gold. The senior shortstop was 5-7 with four RBIs on Sunday and improved her overall batting average to .226.

The Bulldogs didn’t take long to get on the board Sunday as sophomore second baseman Laura Bowen (Hudson, Mass.) hit her second leadoff homerun of the season to give her squad an early 1-0 lead in game one of the doubleheader.

Bryant added four more runs in the top of the fourth inning as freshman Brittany Lischinsky(Mahopac, N.Y.) and Chouinard hit back-to-back homeruns to lead off the fourth to make it 3-0 in favor of the Bulldogs. It was Lischinsky’s first career homerun. Bryant tallied two more runs that inning as freshman Christina Eringis (Tewksbury, Mass.) scored on a wild pitch and Bowen earned her second hit of the game, a single to the shortstop, which scored Lindsay Martin (Methuen, Mass.). It was also Bowen’s second RBI of the contest.

The Bulldogs recorded one more insurance run in the top of the seventh inning off a Lauren McCart (Voorhees, N.J.) sacrifice fly that scored Lischinsky.

Junior pitcher Sami Houseal (Mount Joy, Pa.) pitched a brilliant complete-game four-hit shutout to earn her first victory of the 2010 campaign. Houseal walked just one batter and struck out two in the outing.

Chouinard was 3-3 in game one, while both Bowen and Lischinsky picked up two hits each. Bowen also added two RBIs in the contest.

The Red Flash caught up to Houseal in game two of the doubleheader as they jumped out to an early 5-0 lead after just two innings of play.

Sophomore Lauren McCart hit her first career homerun Sunday afternoon, a game-tying solo shot to center field.

Bryant quickly responded in the top of the third inning with three runs of its own on four hits. Pennsylvania native Regi Burdo (Wayne, Pa.) reached base with one out on a double to left center and was advanced to third on a Bowen single up the middle. Freshman Kate Murray (Fitchburg, Mass.) reached base on a fielder’s choice to advance Bowen to second, but Burdo was gunned down at the plate trying to score the Bulldogs’ first run of the game.

With two outs and runners on first and second, senior catcher Ashley Coon (Levittown, Pa.) doubled to left center to plate Bowen and cut the deficit to 5-1. With runners on second and third, the Bulldogs continued the two-out-rally as Lischinsky singled to left, scoring both Bowen and Coon to bring the Bulldogs within two, down 5-3.

After cutting the margin to 5-4 in the top of the fifth, McCart tied the game at five apiece in the top of the sixth inning with a solo shot, the first of her career, to center field.

Freshman pitcher Brittany Hart (North Andover, Mass.), who relieved Houseal late in the second inning, continued to pitch a brilliant game for Bryant. Hart had allowed just two hits in 3.1 innings to that point.

With the game tied up heading into the top of the seventh frame, Murray led the inning off for BU with a single to second base. Following a Coon pop out, Lischinsky came through with her third hit of the game, a single to center field to put runners on first and second with just one out and the red-hot Chouinard coming to the plate.

The senior captain delivered for the second day in-a-row with a game-winning hit. Chouinard blasted a three-run homerun, her second of the day, to right center field to complete the comeback and give the Bulldogs an 8-5 lead heading into the bottom of the seventh.

Hart continued her spectacular outing, allowing no runs and just one hit in the bottom of the seventh, and earning her fifth win of the season. The Massachusetts native pitched 5.1 inning, allowed just three hits and struck out three. Hart improves to 5-8 with the victory.

Lischinsky had a game-high three hits in the contest, going 3-4 with three RBIs at the plate while Chouinard went 2-4 with three RBIs of her own. The four and five hitters combined to go 10-15 on Sunday and drive in a combined eight RBIs.

After making the long trek back to Smithfield, the Black and Gold will look for four in-a-row on Tuesday when they face intrastate rival Providence College at 4 p.m.