Softball falls short against Northern Colo.

Bryant drops 10-7 decision to Northern Colorado in Lobo Classic finale

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – The Bryant University softball team nearly rallied from a five-run deficit against Northern Colorado but could not complete the comeback, as the Bulldogs fell, 10-7, in the Sunday morning New Mexico Lobo Classic Finale at Lobo Field.

The Bulldogs (0-5) held a two-run lead after three and a half innings, but the Bears (8-3) tacked on nine runs over a two-inning span to take a commanding 10-5 lead entering the sixth.

Junior Christina Eringis (Tewksbury, Mass.) cut the deficit to three with her team-leading second long ball of the season to plate sophomore Aubrey Mable (Aurora, Colo.), but Northern Colorado held the Bulldogs at bay the rest of the way to secure the win.

After falling behind by one, Bryant tacked on runs in the second, third and fourth innings to take a 3-1 lead. In the top of the second, senior Lindsay Martin (Methuen, Mass.) singled to left to score sophomore Kendall Corder (Carmichael, Calif.) to tie the game. An inning later, Mable managed to cross the plate on a fielding error, and in the top of the fourth it was Mable again with a single up the middle to plate classmate Lauren Guy (La Habra, Calif.), pushing the Bulldogs ahead by two runs.

But the Bears mounted a comeback in the bottom of the fourth by means of a two-run home run to take a 4-3 lead. Bryant responded with a pair of runs in the top of the fifth, as Martin scorched a double to center to drive in senior Lauren McCart (Voorhees, N.J.), and Guy plated a run on an infield single in the next at-bat to go ahead, 5-4.

But in the bottom of the fifth, Northern Colorado put the game out of reach with a six-run inning. After tying the game on a throwing error, the Bears reached on three straight hits  - including one with the bases loaded - to take a 10-5 lead. Of the six runs scored in the inning, only one was an earned run.

Despite cutting that lead to just three on Eringis' homer in the top of the sixth, that would be the closest the Bulldogs would get, as the game was called after six innings of play.

Junior Brittany Hart (North Andover, Mass.) struck out three and walked two while scattering eight hits over four innings, while classmate Jennifer Jacob (Deer Park, N.Y.) tossed 1.2 innings of work and struck out one.

The Bulldogs wrapped up the Lobo Classic without a win, but the squad made vast improvements over the three-day tournament. After struggling on Friday, Bryant put forth a valiant effort before falling against Big Ten foe Purdue, 10-2, on Saturday. In the second game that day, the Bulldogs held a 2-0 lead against Central Arkansas entering the sixth, but eventually fell by a 7-3 margin.

After five games, Mable stands as the squad's offensive leader with seven hits and a .538 average. The Colorado native also boasts a double and one homer to lead the team with a .846 slugging percentage. Eringis' two homers, four RBI and four runs scored are all team highs, while Corder's two stolen bases ranks first on the squad.

Four players posted five-hit outings in the tournament, as Martin, sophomore Amy Weinberg (Pleasant Valley, N.Y.), Guy and Eringis all recorded base hits on five occasions.

In the circle, Jacob led the way with 14.2 innings of work. The junior threw three comlete games and struck out 12, while Hart started two games (11.0 IP) and garnered four strikeouts and issued just two walks while going the distance in one of those outings.

The Bulldogs return home to rest up and get back to work in preparation for their trip to the Sunshine State from March 11-18. Bryant will compete in the highly competitive Florida Rebel Games from March 11-13 before partaking in the University of South Florida Under Armour Tournament from March 16-18.

Bryant opens its home slate on March 20 when it hosts BIG EAST foe Connecticut in a non-conference tilt at 3:30 p.m.

For continuing coverage of Bryant University softball, check back online at www.bryantbulldogs.com; also follow the Bulldogs on Twitter @BryantAthletics.