Bulldogs Split Doubleheader with Scrappy Southern New Hampshire

April 14, 2004             Game 1 Box                Game 2 Box

In an up-and-down afternoon at the Bryant Softball Complex, the Bulldogs salvaged a split of a doubleheader with Southern New Hampshire. The Bulldogs rallied from a 2-0 deficit to defeat the Penmen in game one, but a frantic Bulldog rally fell just short in game two, as SNHU escaped with a 7-6 win.

The Penmen jumped on starter Nikki Ingalls (Westford, Mass.) for an unearned run in the first inning, and Penman starter Ashley Smith shut down the Bulldogs for the first five innings. Ingalls (6-3) would allow another unearned run in the fifth, before the Bulldogs rallied in the sixth.

Senior Amanda Wilbur

Amanda Gagne (Wilbraham, Mass.) got things started with a two-out double. The next hitter, Jessica Valentini (Cliffside Park, NJ) knocked a single to put two on for Amanda Wilbur (Lakeville, Mass.). Wilbur cued an infield, RBI single and Kimberly Breton (Leominster, Mass.) came in to pinch run for Valentini. Alison Chouinard (Swansea, Mass.) then walked to load the bases for Ashley Coon (Fairless Hills, PA). After a long at bat Coon rolled a sharp grounder that went right through shortstop Karissa Bettencourt's legs.

The error made it 3-2 Bulldogs and Ingalls got the last three outs, despite putting two runners on in the top of the seventh.

In game two, the Penmen jumped on Bryant starter Anne Dobmeier (Buffalo, NY) early. Dobmeier allowed a run in the first and second innings before giving up a long home run to pitching couterpart Ashley Bernstein.

Junior Janine Enos (Wareham, Mass.) relieved Dobmeier in the third, but also struggled. Enos (6-4) allowed a run in the fourth and the deciding two in the top of the seventh.

The Bulldogs rallied from the 5-0 deficit with 2 runs in the fifth on a Gagne RBI single and another error by Bettencourt. In the fifth, the Bulldogs came all the way back to tie it on a Jennifer Serrano (Stoneham, Mass.) double that put runners on second and third with no one out. Bernstein proceded to strike out pinch-hitter Lauren McNiff (Westford, Mass.) and get Lauren Connor (West Haven, CT) on a harmless grounder to second. But Gagne smacked a game-tying, two-RBI single through the left side of the infield for her third RBI ont he game.

The Penmen, though, fought right back in the seventh. Hits by Felicia Brum and Bernstein put two on for Andrea Clausi, who brought in one with a fielder's choice. An Ashely Guertin single later put the Penmen up two heading to the last half of the seventh.

 Proving they were not finished, the Bulldogs pushed a run across on an Chouinard double. With one out and Kate Thomas (Bedford, NH) up, the Bulldogs tried a suicide squeeze but Thomas could not make contact and Chouinard was tagged out. Bernstein then got Thomas to fly out to center field to end the game.

Wilbur stayed hot, going 5 of 7 with an RBI. She is hitting a red-hot .552 in her last eight games with 4 HR and 13 RBI. Gagne is not far behind, hitting .519 in the same span with 9 RBI.