BRIDGEWATER, Va. – The Bridgewater College softball extended its streak to five-straight shutouts, the longest such streak in program history, with a sweep of Averett on Saturday.
Game 1
The Basics
Score: Bridgewater 5, Averett 0
Records: Bridgewater 13-4 (3-0 ODAC), Averett 12-5 (0-1 ODAC)
How It Happened
- Mackenzie Cauthorn got the nod in game one and did not disappoint as Averett went down in order. Caroline Malandra opened the bottom of the first for BC with a triple to the wall in right field. Aniella Baldwin followed with a single back up the middle to drive in Malandra and make it 1-0 for BC. Baldwin swiped second and made her way to third before she was left stranded.
- Averett had a runner reach on a walk in the top of the second, but she was left stranded. Kaelyn Ramsey opened BC's half of the frame by reaching on an error, while Malandra walked and Baldwin reached on an infield single, but BC left the bases jammed.
- The Cougars got their first hit of the contest to open the third frame, while a walk and an error loaded the bases for the visitors. Cauthorn regrouped as she induced a pop up and a diving catch by Ramsey as she slid into the left-field fence in foul ground to get out of the jam. AU had another chance to strike in the top of the fourth, but a squeeze play was foiled by Cauthorn as she fielded a bunt perfectly and flipped it to Skyler Buzbee for the out at the plate.
- Bridgewater added to the lead in the bottom of the fifth as Malandra opened the frame with a walk and stole second. Averett got two quick outs, but the Eagles were unphased as Lily Moyers singled back up the middle to drive in Malandra and make it 2-0. Leiah Branch reached on an error to extend the frame and Abby Byrum followed with a single up the middle again to make it 3-0 as the lead runner came around to score.
- Averett left the bases loaded in the top of the sixth after a pair of infield pop ups and the Eagles pounced. Andrea Savage opened the frame with a single and was pinch ran for by Brianna Petrolia immediately. Averett got two quick outs again, but Baldwin extended the inning as she reached on an infield hit and Petrolia moved to third. McKenna Mueller dug in next and delivered with a two-run single to swell the lead to 5-0. Averett tried to get a rally going as it put two runners on via base hits, but flyouts to Ramsey and Baldwin secured the win.
Match Notes,
- Cauthorn (7-2) tossed the complete-game shutout for BC. Baldwin led the Eagles with three hits, while Malandra scored a pair of runs for Bridgewater.
- Zabik (5-2) took the loss for Averett. Kirby and Winters led the way with two hits for AU.
Game 2
The Basics
Score: Bridgewater 3, Averett 0
Records: Bridgewater 14-4 (4-0 ODAC), Averett 12-6 (0-2 ODAC)
How It Happened
- Averett put a runner on in the top of the first on a hit by pitch, but the runner was left stranded. Malandra opened the home-half of the frame with a walk and immediatelt stole second. She moved to third on a groundout, and Mueller followed with a flyball just deep enough to allow her to score, making it 1-0.
- AU stranded runners in the second and third frames, while the Eagles continued to lead, but were yet to tally a hit.
- The Eagles continued to lead, despite being hitless. Mueller opened the bottom of the fourth with a walk and her pinch-runner, Molly Ecroyd, was moved all the way to third before she was left stranded.
- After another stranded Cougar, BC continued to lead without a hit heading to the fifth. With one away in the home side of the frame. Savage delivered on the 10th pitch of her at-bat with a double off the line in left to break up the no-hit bid. Sarah Kate Tozier ran for her as Ramsey drilled a ball off the top of the wall in left field to narrowly drive in Tozier as she made it to second. Baldwin stepped in an out later and delivered with a hit through the left side that allowed Ramsey to score and make it a 3-0 BC lead.
- Evelyn Rhoads kept the shutout going as AU stranded another runner in the top of the sixth. BC moved an insurance run to third in the bottom of the frame, but a strikeout stranded the runner. Rhoads came back out for the seventh and rolled as she induced a pair of flyouts to Ramsey in left field and Mueller fielded a ground ball to secure the shutout.
Match Notes,
- Rhoads (6-1) continued to roll with her third-straight shutout for BC in the circle as she allowed just three hits. Savage started the rally in the fifth as she, Ramsey, Baldwin and Jordan Wise tallied BC's hits.
- Liggon (3-2) took the loss for AU despite tossing the first 5.1 innings hitless. Zabik, Kirby and Newcomb had the three hits for Averett.
Up Next
Bridgewater turns around with a twin-bill against Gettysburg on Sunday.
