BRIDGEPORT, Conn. - The Southern Connecticut softball team split a pair of games with the University of Bridgeport, a 7-1 loss and a 10-5 victory. With the split, the Owls moved to 8-8 overall, while the Purple Knights moved to 14-11.

Jacqueline Dumont (Nashua, N.H.) went 5-for-9 on the day with four RBI and two runs scored. Liz DeRosa (Hudson, N.H.) went 4-for-8 through two games, which included two runs scored and one RBI. In the circle, Jazmyn Martinez (Middletown, N.Y.) pitched to a complete game with five strikeouts in game two. 

Game 1: Bridgeport 7, Southern Connecticut 1

The Purple Knights kicked off the scoring in the bottom of the first inning with a RBI single to center field. Play was quiet on both ends for the next three innings of play.

After Emily Lange (Monroe, Conn.) earned a walk in the top of the fifth inning, Jayden Delaporta (Mystic, Conn.) doubled down the left field line to score Lange from first and tie the game. Bridgeport responded in the bottom half of the inning. With two outs, the Purple Knights tripled down the right field line to score the go-ahead run. A single in the next at bat scored the runner from third as Bridgeport took a 3-1 lead. 

Bridgeport opened the scoring floodgates in the sixth inning. The lead off hitter hit a solo home run to center field before the next batter doubled down the left field line. The third batter of the inning moved the runner to third with a sacrifice bunt. In the fourth at bat, a walk was granted to put runners on the corners. Both runners managed to steal the next base with the Purple Knights earning their second run of the inning, 5-1. With the next batter reaching on a fielder's choice, a single to right field put runners on first and second for Bridgeport. A passed ball advanced the runners before a double to center field scored both to increase the Purple Knights lead to six, 7-1.

The Owls could not find their offense in the top of the seventh and Bridgeport went on to take game one by six.

Game 2: Southern Connecticut 10, Bridgeport 5

It was the Owls who struck first in game two. Emily Lange earned her second walk of the day in the lead off position. Jacqueline Dumont (Nashua, N.H.) then blasted a two-run home run to center field that put the Owls on the board. With two outs, Liz DeRosa (Hudson, N.H.) singled to left field to get another baserunner on for Southern. Madelyn Sauve (Mansfield, Conn.) ripped a double to center field that brought DeRosa around from first and increased Southern's lead to three. The Purple Knights responded quickly in the bottom half of the inning with a two out, two-run home run to left field, 3-2.

Southern earned those runs right back in the second inning. Ally Petrella (Willington, Conn.) singled to right center to give the Owls their first base runner of the inning with Emily Lange following after being hit by a pitch. Jayden Delaporta's sacrifice bunt moved both Petrella and Lange over, respectively. It was Dumont that came up big again with a single to left field that scored Petrella. In the next at bat, Morgan Tuscano's (Wallingford, Conn.) sacrifice fly scored Lange from third for their second and final run of the inning, 5-2.

Both sides could not find their bats until the Owls struck again in the fourth inning. Delaporta blasted a two-out double down the left field line. Dumont took her licks at the plate and recorded her third hit of the game with a single to center field that scored Delaporta, 6-2.

Bridgeport found a groove in the bottom of the fifth inning. Their first base runner reached on an error and advanced to second. In the next at bat, a single scored the runner from second and cut the Owls lead in half, 6-3. With bases loaded, Bridgeport earned a walk that scored a run. The Purple Knights capped their scoring with an infield single that scored a run and put them within one run of the Owls, 6-5.

Southern would not let them stay close for long and opened a floodgate of their own. Julianna Corbett (Matawan, N.J.) singled to right field in her pinch hitting opportunity. Dumont recorded her fourth hit of the game with a single to left field. With two runners on, Tuscano's sacrifice bunt moved Corbett and Dumont to third and second, respectively. DeRosa picked up a big hit with a single to left center that scored Corbett, 7-5. With Sauve earning a walk to load the bases, Dominique DeLutri (North Bellmore, N.Y.) earned the second-straight walk for the Owls in the inning to score their second run. In the very next play, the Owls' Ashley Saab (Oakland, N.J.) reached on an error, scoring the run from third. Southern scored their 10th and final run of the game with Sauve scoring on a wild pitch, 10-5. 

The Purple Knights could not find their footing in their remaining two chances as the Owls went on to secure the five-run victory over Bridgeport in game two.
 

Notes

• Jacqueline Dumont is riding a six-game hitting streak. Over than span, three of those were multi-hit games. 
• Liz DeRosa is riding a three-game hitting streak. With three hits in game two against Bridgeport, DeRosa had her first three-hit game this season. 
• Emily Lange recorded her fourth-straight game with a walk. She leads the team with 10 walks this season.

Up Next
The Owls will head north for two doubleheaders beginning with Saint Michael's College in Colchester, Vt. on Saturday, April 2 and ending with Franklin Pierce in Rindge, N.H. on Sunday, April 3.