Bulldogs dominate Blackbirds en route to Sunday sweep

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Behind a pair of dominant performances from sophomore pitcher Elle Madsen (Wheat Ridge, Colo.), the Bryant University softball swept LIU Brooklyn, with an 11-0 win in Game 1 and a 6-2 victory in Game 2, Sunday afternoon at Conaty Park.

The Bulldogs (18-13, 5-1 Northeast Conference) have won six-straight, including five in-a-row against league opponents, while the Blackbirds (13-24, 2-2 NEC) suffer their first conference losses of the year.

"Overall this weekend really displayed what we are capable of as a team," said Bryant head coach Shayne Lotito. "We looked solid from top to bottom and not only showed other teams what we can do, but proved to ourselves that all our goals are attainable."

Game 1

The first leg of Sunday's doubleheader was all Bryant from start to finish as the Black and Gold exploded for nine runs in the bottom of the third, which was more than enough support for Madsen, en route to an 11-0 victory in five innings.

After a pair of scoreless innings, Bryant got to work in the bottom of the third scoring a whopping nine runs highlighted by a two-run base knock from senior shortstop Aubrey Mable (Aurora, Colo.) and a three-run double from senior left fielder Kristen Carter (Branchville, N.J.). By the time the inning was over, 13 Bulldogs went to the plate, compiling nine runs on 10 hits, granting Bryant the 9-0 lead after three.

The Black and Gold went on to add two more in the bottom of the fourth on a Carter two-run single which plated freshman Emily Bouthillette (Lincoln, R.I.) and sophomore Hayley Bottino (Canyon Country, Calif.).

The 11-run lead was plenty for Madsen as she was dialed in, allowing just four hits to go along with five Ks in five innings of work, earning her 12th win of the year in the process. Carter led the way at the dish, going 2-for-3 with a career-high five RBI, while senior catcher Kendall Corder (Carmichael, Calif.), junior center fielder Madeline Velasquez (Los Angeles, Calif.), and Mable each had two hits apiece.

"Our 1-2 lefty combo [Ogata and Carter] got us going again in Game 1," added Lotito. "But the entire lineup stepped up, led by Elle [Madsen] on the mound, doing exactly what she needed to do. At this point, Elle [Madsen] is on a completely different level and we'll continue to ride her hot hand going forward."

Game 2

The second contest on Sunday brought more of the same from Madsen, who was once again too much for LIU Brooklyn, leading Bryant to the 6-2 win and the series sweep.

The Black and Gold struck first in the bottom of the first inning on a historic Mable solo homerun, her sixth of the season and 25th-career blast, making her Bryant all-time homerun leader.

"We are extremely happy for Aubrey [Mable] reaching such an illustrious milestone," added Lotito. "We know how hard she has worked during her career at Bryant and how deserving she is of such an amazing accomplishment."

After a scoreless second inning, the Bulldogs tacked on two more in the bottom of the third to push their lead to 3-0 behind a Bottino two-run double down the left field line to score Madsen and Corder.

The Bryant offense was solid throughout the day but the real story was Madsen who was an absolute nuisance on the mound for Blackbird hitters, riding a 17.2 scoreless inning streak into the top of the fifth inning when LIU finally mustered some offense, pushing a pair of runs across to bring the visitors win one, 3-2.

In the bottom half of the inning, Madsen helped herself, blasting a two run shot down the left field line to tack on a pair of insurance run for the Bulldogs. Two batters later, Bottino topped of her terrific outing with a solo shot to dead-center field, pushing the Bryant advantage to four runs, 6-2.

In all, Madsen allowed just two runs (only one earned) on three hits and four walks in seven innings for her 13th win of the year. Bottino led the way offensively, going 3-for-3 with three RBI and a run scored.

"Aubrey got things started for us in Game 2," said Lotito. "Elle was able to keep it going in the circle and at the plate and Hayley capped it off with a terrific effort."

Dating back to March 15, the Bulldogs have posted a 13-3 record in their last 16 games and are hitting .333 as a team while holding opponents to just a .300 average. In this past week, Bryant posted an impressive 8-1 record, and even more importantly a 5-1 mark against NEC opponents.

"As happy as we are about getting off to a strong start [in NEC play], it's not surprising because we know what this team is capable of," stated Lotito. "We are more proud of them as a whole because they bought in and are now coming into their own, playing every game with a ton of confidence."

Looking ahead, the Black and Gold will put their six-game win streak on the line when they host a very talented Albany team for a Wednesday doubleheader at Conaty Park (2/4 p.m.), before heading to Sacred Heart on Saturday to continue NEC action.

For all the latest news on the Bryant University softball team, visit BryantBulldogs.com.