Hart, Jacob stifle Sacred Heart in DH sweep

Bulldogs sweep Sacred Heart, win season-high fifth straight game

FAIRFIELD, Conn. - Led by strong pitching by junior Brittany Hart (North Andover, Mass.), the Bryant University softball team benefited from a two-run fourth inning to down Sacred Heart, 3-1, in the first game before classmate Jennifer Jacob (Deer Park, N.Y.) limited the Pioneers to four hits in a winning effort in a 2-1 victory in Game 2, as the Bulldogs swept a Northeast Conference doubleheader against Sacred Heart on Saturday afternoon at Pioneer Park.

The Bulldogs improve to 18-21 on the season with a 9-5 record in league play by virtue of their fifth straight victory – setting a new season high in consecutive wins - while the Pioneers drop to 19-32 on the year with a 6-14 mark in the NEC.

Limiting Sacred Heart to one run while scattering nine hits, Hart improved to 10-6 on the season while winning her fourth consecutive game. The righty struck out three while walking none in her seven innings of work, out-dueling SHU's Nicole Sider (14-13), who let up three runs on eight hits over seven innings while matching Hart with three strikeouts and no walks.

Later in the day, Jacob earned her eighth win of the season (8-15) by virtue a four-hit, four-strikeout performance while walking only three batters. Sacred Heart's Liz Tsipouras (1-6) tossed a complete game while yielding two runs on eight hits with two strikeouts and a walk.

Enshrining herself amidst the all-time Bulldog greats with three hits on the day, including a double and triple in Game 2, was senior outfielder Lindsay Martin (Methuen, Mass.), who surpassed the 100-hit mark in her career.

Bryant's offense in Game 1 came on eight hits, with designated player Lauren Guy (La Habra, Calif.) leading the way with a 2-for-4 showing at the plate with one run scored and one RBI. Six other Bulldog starters finished with a hit, as well.

The Bulldogs wasted no time in taking an early 1-0 lead, as Guy blasted a leadoff solo shot to straightaway center in the top of the first, giving the visitors the early advantage.
But Sacred Heart responded with a run on two hits in the bottom of the second, as Liz Tsipouras came in to score from first on a Carley Rudloff double to the right center field gap, making it 1-1 after two innings of action.

In the top of the fourth, the Bulldogs took the lead right back thanks to a two-run inning. Senior Laura Bowen (Hudson, Mass.) began the frame with a base hit to center, and freshman Madeline Velasquez (Los Angeles, Calif.) followed suit two batters later with a hard double off the third baseman to put runners in scoring position.

Sophomore Kendall Corder (Carmichael, Calif.) plated the go-ahead run on a suicide squeeze to bring home Bowen, and classmate Amy Weinberg (Pleasant Valley, N.Y.) came through with a two-out single up the middle to score Velasquez, making it 3-1 in favor of the Bulldogs after three and a half.

Sacred Heart had a golden opportunity in the bottom of the fifth, loading the bases with two outs, but Hart dug deep and induced a groundout to short to keep the Pioneers off the board heading to the sixth.

That would be the closest that the Pioneers would claw to within, as Hart worked around two singles in the bottom of the sixth and another base hit in the seventh to lock down the win in the opener.

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The second game of the afternoon had the makings of a pitcher's duel through the first five innings before the Bulldogs finally broke through with two runs in the top of the sixth.

Sophomore Aubrey Mable (Aurora, Colo.) led off the frame with a single through the left side before moving to second on a sacrifice. That brought up Weinberg with the go-ahead run in scoring position, and the sophomore broke through with an RBI double down the left field line, scoring Mable and giving the Bulldogs a 1-0 lead.

But Bryant would not stop there, as Corder stepped in to pinch hit with Kristen Carter (Branchville, N.J.) in to pinch run for Weinberg at second. The sophomore promptly ripped a base hit up the middle to double the lead, as Carter beat the throw at the plate to put the visitors ahead, 2-0.

Sacred Heart made it a one-run game in the bottom of the sixth after Jade Bowins led off the inning with a double. Two batters later, Rudloff connected for a two-out RBI single to right to score Bowins, making it 2-1 heading to the seventh.

After the Bulldogs left a runner on in the top of the seventh, Jacob came on to close the door in the bottom of the frame. Despite surrendering a leadoff single, the junior induced back-to-back groundball outs to finish off the sweep.

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The Bulldogs round out the weekend tomorrow, April 29, when they wrap up their road slate with another conference doubleheader at Quinnipiac. First pitch is scheduled for 12 p.m.

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