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Posted: May 05, 2013

MCLA Softball falls in MASCAC title game 2-1 to Bridgewater State

MCLA Softball falls in MASCAC title game 2-1 to Bridgewater State
Box Score

Bridgewater, MA- The Bridgewater State University Bears swept a pair of games from the MCLA Trailblazers this afternoon.  They won the opener 2-0 to force a winner take all game, in which the hosts won 2-1 to clinch the MASCAC championship and the subsequent automatic bid into the NCAA tournament.

MCLA led early as Kendra Hobbs wound up on third base following an error.  She came in to score on a groundout to give the Trailblazers the lead. 

MCLA starting pitcher Rachel Quackenbush was making it stand until the fourth inning when Bridgewater's Jessica Laudati homered to tie the score at 1 apiece.  An inning later, the Bears would tally the go ahead run on Jennifer Shaw's RBI double scoring Jocelyn Bettencourt who had singled with two outs.

Bridgewater's Amber White would hold the Trailblazers at bay all afternoon weaving her way out of trouble.  She escaped a bases loaded, no out jam in the second inning after inducing a popout and recording a pair of strikeouts.

MCLA would mount a rally in the sixth when Sam Barbarotta walked and advanced to second on Tanelle Ciempa's single.  Trailblazer Megan Boyer lined out to third, and Shaw would fire across the diamond to double up Ciempa to end the inning.

MCLA went quietly in the 7th inning against White to claim the MASCAC title.

White went the distance in the clincher tossing 7 innings, allowing six hits and no earned runs.  Quackenbush was tough again for MCLA.  The freshman went six innings, yielded 9 hits and struck out 8 Bears.

MCLA ends their season at 21-22 overall, while the Bears improve to 26-15 and will await the NCAA seeding when its announced tomorrow.

Game One Recap

BRIDGEWATER, Mass. - Junior pitcher Amber White (Middleboro, Mass.) hurled a complete game, two-hit shutout, and senior catcher Brianna Strecker (Waterford, Mass.) belted a two-run homer to lift top-seeded Bridgewater State to a 2-0 victory over number two seed MCLA on Sunday afternoon at Alumni Park.

The Bears stave off elimination with the win and force the "if necessary" championship game which will get underway at 2:00 PM this afternoon.

Strecker launched her game-winning home run with two outs in the top of the fifth to break a scoreless tie. Senior center fielder Courtney Gregoire (Dartmouth, Mass.) started the rally with a long double to the gap in right-center field. Strecker then drilled a 2-1 pitch over the left field fence to give the Bears the 2-0 lead.
 
White (14-6) was masterful throughout as she allowed just two hits with no walks while striking out three in a 73-pitch effort.
 
Freshman Rachel Quackenbush (Hoosick Falls, N.Y.) suffered the loss in the circle for the Trailblazers. Quackenbush (11-7) gave up just the two runs on five hits with a walk and seven strikeouts.