SPRINGFIELD, Massachusetts The American International College softball team played a doubleheader with the University of Bridgeport on Thursday, March 30, at Judy Groff Field, falling by scores of 9-1 and 1-0;
Jillian Bedard started in the circle for AIC, but struggled to find a groove early on. Allison Luzzi led off with a single but got thrown out at second, which allowed Gabryelle Dubois to reach on a fielder's choice. After that, Dubois stole second and third, and Jenna DiLorenzo walked. Meghan O'Leary singled to left afterwards, scoring Dubois and advancing DiLorenzo to third. An infield single from Samantha Sabor followed, scoring DiLorenzo.
Bedard got out of the inning after that, getting Yalitza Rodriguez to ground into a 6-4-3 double play and ending the first inning with the Jackets down 2-0.
Bridgeport struck again in the third inning as Luzzi got things started with an infield single and then got into scoring position via fielder's choice. DiLorenzo reached on a single to third and then scored, alongside Luzzi, from an O'Leary triple. Sabor grounded out to first afterwards, scoring O'Leary to cap off the scoring for Bridgeport.
In the sixth inning, Cherlynn Townsend got to second after hitting a laser toward Keymell Cartwright in center field, and the ball came off her glove. Townsend was then batted in by a Luzzi triple as she roped the ball over Cartwright's head for her first RBI of the day.
Bridgeport got the better of Bedard in the seventh inning as well. Lizardo singled to third base to start the inning and then stole second. After that, Rodi singled up the middle to get first and third and then Ashley Hessler singled to first, scoring Lizardo. Townsend drew a walk to load the bases after a Kerri Agrela strike out. Bedard struck out Tara Faford and looked like she might've gotten herself out of trouble, but a Janaya Young single up the middle which Bedard almost robbed scored two for Bridgeport and put them up 9-0, which was too big of a mountain for AIC to climb in its final inning.
AIC finally had Lajoie figured out during the final inning, as Cartwright singled to get things started and got batted in by a Kayla Riley double, but that was all the Yellow Jackets were able to muster up in their last inning.
Bedard picked up the loss for the Yellow Jackets and Lajoie picked up the win for Bridgeport.
Alyssa Camargo started in the circle for the Yellow Jackets for the second game of the doubleheader, and Alyssa Bua started for Bridgeport.
This game got off to a completely different start for the Yellow Jackets as Camargo found a groove early and completely controlled the game. The Bridgeport hitters were guessing on every pitch and were fooled time and time again. Through four innings, Camargo had struck out six and only walked one, showing the command she had of the game.
AIC looked ready to cause problems in the fourth as Yami Lopez-Perez reached on an error to start the inning and then tagged to a second on a long fly ball from Jamie Mainez. Then Riley hit a ground ball to the shortstop, and Lopez-Perez took off for third and the shortstop threw over and the third baseman tagged high. Lopez-Perez was initially called safe, but the umpires conversed and the call was overturned. Instead of first and third with one out the Yellow Jackets had a runner on first with two outs, and Jess Lingenberg flied out to first base to end the inning.
In the fifth, Faford reached on an error by the shortstop for Bridgeport, and then got to second due to a throwing error from Mainez who tried to pick her off. Camargo ended up walking Hessler to give Bridgeport first and second. A groundout to first from Luzzi made it second and third with two outs but Blanchard was unable to rise to the occasion, grounding out to third to end the inning.
Bridgeport's bats woke in the sixth inning up as well. DiLorenzo singled to lead off the inning and then an error by Sarah Baganz allowed Sabor to get on base and put DiLorenzo in scoring position. Rodriguez then hit a shallow single up the middle that just barely got past Baganz's diving effort, but it was enough to score DiLorenzo. Bridgeport had drawn first blood, but it was all they could get as Faford flied out to right to end the inning.
That was all Bridgeport needed to grab a victory in this battle of the pitchers as they ended up winning the game 1-0. Camargo, despite a spectacular eight-strikeout performance, picked up a loss and Bua picked up a win for Bridgeport.
AIC is now 3-10 and Bridgeport is now 11-8. AIC will host Southern Connecticut this Saturday, April 1, for its next game.
