March 27, 2010

 SOFTBALL DROPS TWO AGAINST MOUNT ST. MARY'S ON OPENING DAY OF NEC PLAY

Boxscore #1 / Boxscore #2

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Despite a grand slam from freshman Jennifer Jacob (Deer Park, N.Y.) in the second game of doubleheader action, the Bryant University softball team was unable to complete the comeback as it dropped both games to Mount St. Mary's in the Bulldogs' first Northeast Conference matchup of the season Saturday.  

The Mountaineers (17-10, 2-0 NEC) defeated the Bulldogs (3-17, 0-2 NEC) 4-0 and 11-6 in the two games Saturday afternoon. The Mount currently sits in first place in the NEC while the Bulldogs remain last in the conference poll.

Bryant only managed two hits in the first game Saturday afternoon as Mount's Amanda Sadowl pitched a complete game two-hitter. Sadowl struck out seven and only allowed one walk as she improved to 8-4 on the season.

The Mountaineers got on the board in the top of the first inning with a Liz Christiansen solo homerun to right field to take the early 1-0 lead. The score would remain the same for the next five innings before The Mount struck again in the top half of the seventh. They picked up three in the top of the last inning and held the Bulldogs scoreless in the bottom half of the frame to earn the 4-0 victory. Christiansen was 2-3 in the game with two RBIs.

Freshman Kelly Cocco (Vernon, Conn.) threw 6.0 innings in game one, allowing nine hits and four earned runs. Cocco's record fell to 0-2 with the loss.

The Mountaineers picked up right where they left on in the top of the first inning in the second game of the doubleheader as they scored six runs. Junior Sami Houseal (Mount Joy, Pa.) was unable to get out of the inning as she allowed six runs on five hits in just .2 of an inning. Houseal did not receive much help from the Bryant defense early as it committed two costly errors in the top of the first frame.

Bryant was finally able to get on the board with two outs in the bottom of the third inning when the pitcher, Jacob, stepped up to the plate. With junior Regi Burdo (Wayne, Pa.) on third, sophomore Laura Bowen (Hudson, Mass.) on second and senior Ali Chouinard (Swansea, Mass.) on first, Jacob hit the first homerun of her career, a grand slam to centerfield to bring her squad back to within two runs, 6-4, after three innings. Jacob was 2-4 in the game with 4 RBIs while Bowen and Burdo each added one hit.

The two-run margin did not last long as the Mountaineers tallied two more in the top of the fourth to take an 8-4 lead.

Bryant picked up one in the fourth and one in the fifth to bring the game back to within two runs at 8-6 but could not get any closer as The Mount brought Sadowl in to close out the action in game two. The Pennsylvania native threw 2.1 innings to close the second game and did not allow a single Bryant hit.

Mount St. Mary's went on to score two in the top of the sixth and one in the seventh to bring the score to its final of 11-6.

The Mount outhit Bryant 17-8 in the second game and had three players' record three hits. Bryant centerfielder Lindsay Martin (Methuen, Mass.) was 2-2 in the second game and scored one run.

The Black and Gold return to action on Sunday, March 28 in Staten Island, N.Y. when they continue Northeast Conference play against Wagner College. The Bulldogs are scheduled for two games against the Seahawks; with the first pitch scheduled for 12 p.m. Bryant will return home on Wednesday, March 31 at 3 p.m. in a non-conference matchup against Albany. The Bulldogs and the Great Danes will play a mid-week doubleheader.