Sunday, April 11, 2010

SIXTH INNING RALLY SNAPS SOFTBALL'S LOSING STREAK; SPLIT DOUBLEHEADER WITH FDU SUNDAY

Box Score #1 / Box Score #2

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Down 5-0 heading into the bottom of the sixth inning, the Bryant University softball team strung together seven runs to take a 7-5 lead over visiting Fairleigh Dickinson and snap a 14-game losing streak on Sunday at the Bryant Softball Complex. The Bulldogs split in doubleheader action, dropping the first game 5-3 to the Knights.

The win also gives the Bulldogs (4-27, 1-9 NEC) their first Northeast Conference victory of the 2010 campaign and drops Fairleigh Dickinson to 10-20 overall and 2-6 in the NEC.

The Knights scored one run in the top of the first, two in the fifth and three in the sixth to take a 5-0 lead over the Bulldogs heading into the bottom of the sixth. Only six outs away from their 15th consecutive loss, the Bulldogs led off the bottom of the frame with a walk drawn by freshman Kate Murray (Fitchburg, Mass.). Senior captain Ashley Coon (Levittown, Pa.) followed Murray with a single up the middle to give the Bulldogs runners on first and second with no outs.

Freshman Christina Eringis (Tewksbury, Mass.) loaded the bases for the Bulldogs as she drew another walk off FDU pitcher Kirsten Shreve. Senior shortstop Ali Chouinard (Swansea, Mass.) reached base on a fielder's choice to earn her fifth RBI of the season as the Knights attempted to get Murray out at the plate but were unsuccessful. With the bases still loaded and no outs on the board, freshman Talia Zizza (Reading, Mass.) singled to left center to score Coon and Eringis and cut the deficit to 5-3.

Sophomore Lindsay Martin (Methuen, Mass.) reached on a fielder's choice, which plated Chouinard and moved Zizza to second. With the Bulldogs down one, 5-4, the Knights brought in senior pitcher Trina Fields. Fields was able to strikeout Kim Leonard (Milford, Mass.) to get the Knights their first out of the inning but allowed a sacrifice fly to pinch hitter Jen Jacob (Deer Park, N.Y.) in the next at bat. Jacob's sacrifice scored junior captain Sami Houseal (Mount Joy, Pa.), who had pinch ran for Zizza. It was the game-tying run and Houseal's second in as many days, the first two of her career.

With two outs and the score knotted up at five apiece, Bryant had its best hitter at the plate in sophomore Laura Bowen (Hudson, Mass.). The consistent leadoff batter singled between the first and second basemen to plate Martin for the go-ahead run. Murray, who started the rally with a walk, tripled in the next Bryant at bat and scored Bowen to give the Bulldogs a little insurance heading into the seventh inning.

Freshman Brittany Hart (North Andover, Mass.) was able to retire the first Fairleigh Dickinson batter but allowed a walk in the next at bat and a single to left fielder Mikayla Fernandez to put runners on first and second with one out. Just two outs away from the victory, Bryant third baseman Regi Burdo (Wayne, Pa.) turned an unassisted double play as she fielded a grounder, stepped on third and fired over to first base to nab FDU's Caitlin Bradac in time.

Hart earned her third win of the season as Shreve took the loss for the Knights. Chouinard was the only Bulldog with multiple hits in the game, going 2-3 with one RBI.   

In the day's first game the Knights took a 5-3 decision over the Bulldogs, despite being outhit 7-6. FDU picked up one run in the top of the first and four in the top of the fourth to complete its scoring for the game.

Bryant committed a season-high six errors in game one.

Houseal pitched her seventh complete game of the season, allowing six hits and no earned runs, but is still searching for her first win as she dropped to 0-12. FDU's Bradac earned the win, throwing all seven innings and allowing just two earned runs.

Chouinard and Bowen both had multi-hit games in the opening game of the doubleheader, each going 2-3 from the plate. Bowen picked up her team-leading 11th double of the season while Chouinard hit her first triple.

The Black and Gold now enter a seven-game stretch of road games with the first starting at Boston University on Wednesday, April 14th. Bryant will face the Terriers at 4 p.m.