Purple Knights Split A Tuesday Doubleheader With ECC Softball-Leading Mercy College

Bridgeport, Conn.-The University of Bridgeport softball team split a home doubleheader with East Coast Conference-leading Mercy College on Tuesday afternoon, as the Purple Knights won game one, 8-3, and fell in game two, 5-2.  With the split, UB is now 16-13 overall and an even 5-5 in the ECC.  Mercy ups its season mark to 16-6, and the Mavericks are now 9-3 in conference play.

In the opener, Bridgeport came out swinging the bats, as the Purple Knights scored all eight runs in the first two innings.

Senior Meghan O'Leary (Lafayette, N.J.) went 4-for-4 in game one with three RBI and two runs scored.  Sophomore Kamryn Beach (Tampa, Fla.) had two hits and two runs batted in the winners in game one, and senior Tara Faford (Grafton, Mass.) had UB's other RBI to begin the day.

Senior Kaitlyn Lajoie (Vernon, Conn.) earned her seventh win of the year working the first five innings of game one in which she allowed six hits, three runs and struck out five and issued two walks. Junior Amanda Staheli (Pecatonica, Ill) wrap up the victory by firing two scoreless and hitless innings in relief.

In the nightcap, Bridgeport took a 1-0 lead in the first inning on a sacrifice fly by sophomore Jenna DiLorenzo (Woodbridge, Conn.), but Mercy came back to score three runs in the second and added to more in the third on their way to the 5-2 win.

Freshman Allison Luzzi (East Haven, Conn.) plus junior Yalitza Rodriguez (Freeport, N.Y.), each had two had two hits for the Purple Knights in game two, and senior Ashley Hessler (Pawtucket, R.I.) drove in UB's other run.

Senior Alyssa Bua (Cornwall, N.Y.) was the hard-luck loser in game two, as she pitched a complete game allowing seven hits and only two of the five runs scored were earned.  Bua also fanned four without a allowing a walk on the day.

Up next, the UB softball team continues ECC play at LIU Post on Thursday afternoon.