WORCESTER, Mass. – Sophomore Sam Fregenti (Melville, N.Y.) ripped a two-run home run to right field to bring the game within one, but the Holy Cross softball team was unable to get any closer, falling to Bryant, 5-2, on Wednesday afternoon at Freshman Field. With the loss, the Crusaders snap their four-game win streak, falling to 10-13, while Bryant continues its win streak, improving to 10 games and moving to 15-11 on the season.
After a scoreless first inning, Bryant put three runs on the board in the second. With one out, Taylor Bell singled to shortstop and then advanced all the way to third on a double by Kate Murray. Bell scored the first run of the day on a single to right field by Amy Weinberg and Murray took advantage of a Holy Cross error to score the second run of the day. Weinberg was thrown out at second on the play for the second out of the inning. With two outs, Lindsay Martin doubled to center field and scored on a single by Laura Bowen to put the Bulldogs up, 3-0.
The third inning was scoreless and the Crusaders shut out the Bulldogs in the top of the fourth before scoring two in the bottom of the inning. With one out, senior Keeley Seniuk (Phoenix, Ariz.) doubled to left center field and then scored when Fregenti put the ball out of the park, bringing the game within one run. Holy Cross loaded the bases in the fifth inning, but was unable to convert any runs, ending the fifth down by one.
Bryant led off the sixth inning with a single by Murray and Martin walked before a two-out triple by Aubrey Mable scored both runners. Holy Cross was unable to string together enough hits to score any runs in the sixth or seventh, ending the game 5-2 in favor of the Bulldogs.
Freshman Julia Barrett (Gardner, Mass.) pitched the first three innings for the Crusaders, suffering her first loss of the season. Barrett allowed three runs on seven hits and struck out three. Freshman Kali Haas (Longmont, Colo.) entered the game in the fourth inning, pitching two complete inning and allowing no runs or hits. Senior Caitlin Belanger (Fall River, Mass.) wrapped up the final two innings, allowing two runs on two hits. Brittany Hart picked up the win for the Bulldogs. Hart pitched all seven innings, allowing two runs on 10 hits. Holy Cross out hit the Bulldogs, 10-9, and committed one error.
Holy Cross will continue action at Freshman Field on Saturday, April 9 with a Patriot League doubleheader against Army. First pitch is scheduled for 12:00 p.m.
