Bryant reaches 12-straight but falls to RMU

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Senior Samantha Houseal (Mount Joy, Pa.) tossed her ninth complete game of the season, allowing three hits and one run, as the Bryant University softball team toppled Robert Morris in the early game but fell in the second outing in Saturday's doubleheader at the Softball Complex.

Bryant (17-12, 7-1 NEC) knocked off the Colonials (16-19, 7-3), 5-1, in game one on the arm of solid pitching by Houseal for the team's 12^th-straight win but fell, 7-0, in the second portion.

In the first game, the visiting Colonials jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first after a two-out RBI double by Annie Dubovec to right centerfield.

Despite the quick start by RMU, Houseal (9-5) would settle in the circle and retire the side in the next two innings. While her counterpart, Alex Bryson (6-7), would keep the home side off the board through the first two frames.

The Bulldogs would not respond until the bottom of the third, as senior Regina Burdo (Wayne, Pa.) reached first base on an error to lead off and Lauren Guy (La Habra, Calif.) knocked her home with a stand-up double down the left field line, her first of two RBIs in the outing, tying things up at 1-1.

In the ensuing inning, Robert Morris would impose a threat with runners on first and third, but Houseal would retire the next batter on strikes before catcher Kendall Corder (Carmichael Calif.) made a terrific throw out to second baseman Laura Bowen (Hudson, Mass.), who then picked off the runner on third attempting to steal home to get out of the jam.

In the bottom half of the fourth, Bryant would tack on two more scores, with Lindsay Martin (Methuen, Mass.) hitting a one-out single to left field top start the surge. Burdo would then deliver in the batters' box what would be her 11^th RBI of the season. With Burdo on second and two outs, Guy would connect again with a RBI double to the left side of the diamond, lifting the Bulldogs to a 3- lead after four.

Freshman sensation Aubrey Mable (Aurora, Colo.) would produce her 10^th multi-hit game of the season, starting with a lead-off double to left center in the top of the fifth. Corder would push Mable over to third on a sacrifice bunt, and fellow classmate Amy Weinberg (Pleasant Valley, N.Y.) would drive her home with a single to right field.

Bowen would add an insurance run in the bottom of the six with a RBI double to center field, giving Bryant a 5-1 advantage.

Houseal would continue to mow through the RMU lineup, stranding three runners on base and posting two more strikeouts in the final two innings, as the righty deliver Bryant's 12th straight win, 5-1, over the Colonials.

Houseal finished with five K's and zero walks in her final line, while three different Bulldogs recorded multi-hit performances.

In the late game Robert Morris would be the ones to capitalize on solid pitching and timely hitting, as the Colonials would hand the Bulldogs their first loss in 13 outings and just their second in the past 17 games.

Sophomore Brittany Hart (North Andover, Mass.) took the circle for the Bulldogs and tossed three innings before giving way to Jennifer Jacob (Deer Park, N.Y.), who finished with one strikeout and three walks in 4.0 innings of work.

The Colonials posted three in the top of the first off a Marizta Jimenez home run in straight-away center and never looked back.

The visitors added one more in the top of the second while Geena Badolato worked her way to 12 K's and just one walk in her 7.0 innings in the circle.

The Bulldogs left six runners on base in the 7-0 loss while the Colonials managed to generate three extra base hits in the outing.

Bryant was outhit, 10-3 in the late game as Mable and Lauren McCart (Voorhees, N.J.) represented the lineup with one and two hits, respectively.

The Bulldogs will look to start a new streak Sunday April 10, as the team plays host to Quinnipiac. First pitch of the doubleheader is slated for 12 p.m. and fans can follow live stats at www.bryantbulldogs.com.