March 18, 2010

 SOFTBALL DROPS 9-8 HEARTBREAKER TO INTRASTATE RIVAL URI ON THURSDAY

Boxscore

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – The Bryant University and the University of Rhode Island softball teams played a back and forth battle on Thursday afternoon as the Rams went on to score three runs in the top of the sixth and defeat the Bulldogs by one run, 9-8, for the third time in as many chances.

Last season, the Bulldogs and the Rams went into extra innings in both meetings, with URI coming out on top by one run each time. Bryant was beaten 3-2 in nine innings at home and fell 4-3 in eight frames on the road.

Rhode Island (5-8) catcher Nicole Massoni hit her fourth and fifth homeruns of the season to guide her team to an 11-hit day. Massoni was 3-3 with three RBIs.

The Bulldogs (2-12) were led offensively by freshman Kate Murray's (Fitchburg, Mass.) three hits. The right fielder was 3-4, scored two runs and tallied three RBIs. Sophomore Laura Bowen (Hudson, Mass.), freshman Christina Eringis (Tewksbury, Mass.) and sophomore Lindsay Martin (Methuen, Mass.) all added two hits apiece. The Massachusetts trio combined for five of the Bulldogs' eight runs.

Senior captain Ashley Coon (Levittown, Pa.) was 1-2 on the day and extended her team-high hitting streak to five games.

Bryant didn't wait long to get on the board as they added two early runs to start the bottom of the first inning. Back-to-back doubles by Bowen and Murray plated Bowen for the first run and an Ali Chouinard (Swansea, Mass.) sacrifice fly scored Murray. It was Chouinard's fourth RBI of the season.

The Rams responded quickly in the top half of the second inning with four runs of their own to make the score 4-2 after an inning and a half of play.

Getting help from a URI throwing error, the Bulldogs climbed a little closer in the bottom of the second, scoring one run on a Murray single which plated Bowen. It was Murray's second RBI of the game and Bowen's second run scored.

URI added one in the third on Massoni's first homerun of the afternoon and one in the fourth off a Brittany Julich single through the right side to make the score 6-3 heading into the bottom of the fourth.

The Bulldogs had a huge fourth inning scoring four runs and re-taking the lead 7-6. Back-to-back singles by Eringis and Martin to lead off the inning got the rally going for BU. Following a Reggie Burdo (Wayne, Pa.) foul out, the Bulldogs hit three more singles, all in succession, to plate Eringis, Martin, Bowen and Murray. It was Bowen's third run scored in as many times on base. The second baseman reached base in five plate appearances. She also stole two bases in the game.

Both teams were held scoreless throughout the fifth but the Bulldogs couldn't hold off the Rams as they came charging back with three runs in the top of the sixth to take a 9-7 lead. Once again it was Massoni who hurt the Bulldogs as she hit her second homerun of the game, a two-run shot to right center.

After freshmen Jennifer Jacob (Deer Park, N.Y.) and Brittany Hart (North Andover, Mass.) combined to keep the Rams scoreless in the top of the seventh, the Bulldogs were heading to the last half of the seventh inning down 9-7.

Coon leadoff the inning with a walk for the Bulldogs and two batters later was hit in by a Martin triple to bring BU to within one run, 9-8. It was at this time that URI brought in their closer, Amanda Sbei, to finish things off for the Atlantic 10 affiliate. Sbei struck out Lauren McCart (Voorhees, N.J.) and then proceeded to walk Bowen.

With runners on first and third and two down in the bottom of the seventh, the Bulldogs' hottest hitter was coming up to the plate. Murray, who leads the team in batting average with a .375, fought hard against Sbei in her final at-bat but concluded the game with a pop-out to the URI second baseman.

Alison Hartzell got the win for the Rams as Amanda Sbei earned the save. Jacob took the loss for the Bulldogs.

The Black and Gold return to action on Saturday, March 20 at noon when they host Boston College at the Bryant Softball Complex. The Bulldogs will look to avenge two shutout losses to the Eagles last season.