Bulldogs earn split vs. Saint Francis U. in final NEC doubleheader

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Behind big afternoons from sophomore Taylor Burger (Killingworth, Conn.) and junior Elle Madsen (Wheat Ridge, Colo.), the Bryant University softball team split its final Northeast Conference doubleheader of the season, topping Saint Francis U., 4-1, in Game 1 before falling to in Game 2, 5-2, Sunday afternoon.

GAME 1

In the first leg of Sunday's double header, Burger's weekend to remember continued as the sophomore's three hits help lift the Bulldogs (17-30, 8-8) Northeast Conference) to the 4-1 win over the Red Flash (30-16, 8-6 NEC).

Burger was just a double away from the cycle as the Bryant right fielder went 3-for-3 with a homerun, a triple, two RBI and a run scored, while sophomore Lauren Keast (Holliston, Mass.) finished 2-for-2 with an RBI. Madsen, who earned her 11th win of the season, helped herself with a solo shot in the bottom of the first.

After the Red Flash took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first, Madsen responded with bomb to right-centerfield to even the score, 1-1, after one. In the following two inning, Burger would single-handedly give the Black and Gold the lead, belting a solo homer in the second before driving home Hayley Bottino (Canyon Country, Calif.) with a RBI triple in the third.

Bryant went on to add one more run in the bottom of the fifth on a Keast RBI single down the right field line to secure the 4-1 victory.

Madsen allowed just one run on four hits and a walk to go along with six strikeouts in her 26 start of the season.

GAME 2

In the second leg of the double dip, the Red Flash sought their revenge, earning the DH split with a 5-2 victory.

The visitors jumped out to a 3-0 lead after two innings and never looked back as Alexis Bower went 3-for-4 at the dish while allowing just two runs in the circle for her sixth win of the season.

In the top of the first, Taylor Parsons got things started with a leadoff double, setting up Bower who sent a towering shot over the left field fence to help herself to the 2-0 advantage. An inning later, Jordan Seneca added to the lead with a solo homerun to up the margin to three runs.

After three scoreless innings for the hosts, Burger helped get her team on the board in the bottom of the fourth with a solo homer to dead center, her fourth HR of the weekend. Madsen followed suit in the fifth with a moon shot to left, cutting the deficit to a single run heading into the sixth. However, with their season on the line, the Red Flash responded in the form of a Kindra Witthus two-run double to secure the 5-2 SFU win.

The Bulldogs wrap up league play at an even 8-8, and with three of the fourth NEC Tournament spots locked up (CCSU, RMU, FDU), it leaves Bryant, Saint Francis U., and LIU Brooklyn fighting it out for the fourth and final berth. Both the Blackbirds and the Red Flash have a doubleheader on tap for next weekend and can clinch a postseason berth with a victory.

As for Bryant, they will await their postseason fate as they wrap up regular season action with single games at Providence on Tuesday and vs. Boston College on Thursday.