Bulldogs split twinbill at the Mount

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Sophomore Christina Eringis (Tewksbury, Mass.) and junior Laura Bowen (Hudson, Mass.) both went yard in Monday's 7-6 win over Mount St. Mary's, but not before the Bulldogs fell to the Mountaineers in the early contest, 1-0, as the teams split the Northeast Conference twinbill at Meadows Field in Emmitsburg, Md.

With the split, Bryant (20-16, 10-4 NEC) moves to 1-3 all-time against the Mount (14-22, 3-8) and has now gone 9-6 in road games this season. The Bulldogs continue to set the standard in program history, as the team has now won 20 games for the first time since making the jump to the Division I.

With the bases loaded and two outs in the top of the seventh of the early game, Bryant was on the verge of cashing in on the game's first run, but the Mount's Nicole Pagano forced an inning-ending groundout to stop the threat.

In the bottom half of the frame, the home side would place runners on first and third with one out, and Chloe Mizianty recorded the game's first and only RBI with a single to centerfield for the 1-0 victory.

Senior Samantha Houseal (Mount Joy, Pa.), the all-time program record holder for innings pitched, took the loss despite stranding seven and allowing just one run. Houseal's (10-7) counterpart, Pagano, left eight in scoring position and recorded one strikeout.

Bryant got outhit by the Mount, 6-3, with Lauren Guy's (La Habra, Calif.) 2-for-3 performance pacing the lineup.

After failing to score in the early contest, the Bulldogs would get on the board with two runs in the top of the first in the second outing. Guy would start the surge with a triple to right center, her third of the season. Aubrey Mable (Aurora, Colo.) reached first on balls and made her way to second on a stolen base before Lindsay Martin (Methuen, Mass.) belted a two-run single to left field, giving the visitors a 2-0 advantage.

Bryant's lead would be shortlived, though, as the Mount posted four runs on three hits in the bottom half of the second. Taylor Beebe highlighted the frame when she converted on a 0-1 pitch for a base-clearing double to left field, lifting the home side to a 4-2 edge.

The Bulldogs would respond in the top of the third, when Amy Weinberg (Pleasant Valley, N.Y.) hit an RBI single to right field on the pay-off pitch, bringing home Bowen to cut the lead to 4-3.

Bowen would then pick up her sixth homer of the season, as the second baseman went yard over the left field fence to tie the score, 4-4. Bryant would continue to put up runs via the long ball, as Eringis recorded her first homer of the season in the top of the sixth with Kendall Corder (Carmichael, Calif.) on base, giving the Bulldogs their second lead of the game, 6-4.

Weinberg would bring home Bowen on a single in the top of the seventh, after Bowen had reached first via walk and advanced to third compliments of a sacrifice bunt by Mable and a wild pitch.

Holding a 7-4 lead into the bottom half, Bryant appeared to be in control, but the Mount's Beth Everist hit a two-run homer to left field to pull the Mountaineers within one. Despite the late surge, Jennifer Jacob (Deer Park, N.Y.) would take over in the circle and turn off the lights with back-to-back Ks for the 7-6 Bryant victory.

Jacob earned her first save on the season while starting pitcher Brittany Hart (North Andover, Mass.) moved to 8-7 on the year after throwing 6.1 innings of work, including one strikeout.

The Bulldogs will return to action with a midweek battle on the road against ACC contender Boston College on Wednesday. First pitch is slated for 4:00 p.m., and fans can follow live stats at www.bryantbulldogs.com.