WATERBURY, Conn. – 25 runs, 41 hits, and 10 total errors highlighted the afternoon for Post University Softball and the University of Bridgeport in their Tuesday afternoon doubleheader from LaMoy Field on the warmest day of the year so far in Connecticut. But in a pair of games where miscues and mental errors seemed to plague both sides, it boiled down to who made less of them and on Tuesday that was the Purple Knights who swept the doubleheader with victories of 8-3 and 9-5 over the Eagles.
THE BASICS
Post University 3, University of Bridgeport 8
Post University 5, University of Bridgeport 9
Post University (4-26, 1-13 CACC)
University of Bridgeport (13-17, 10-2 CACC)
HOW IT HAPPENED
Game 1: Post University 3, University of Bridgeport 8
Junior infielder Isabella Benjamin got Bridgeport on the board first in the opening frame with an RBi single off of freshman left-hander Devin Barnett who walked junior infielder Madison D'Amato to start the game. In response, Post would tie things up in the bottom of the inning on an RBI single by senior catcher Julianna Cicala with one out but that would be all the Eagles got despite a three-hit first inning. Barnett would run into some trouble in the second with the bases loaded and one out as a sacrifice fly by D'Amato and a two-run single from senior outfielder Meg McFarland highlighted a four-run inning which was capped by senior infielder Angela Oros' run-scoring single.
Against sophomore pitcher Vise Zarate, the Eagles had a chance to answer back again with two straight hits to start things off and then a two-run double by graduate outfielder Samantha Riccardulli which cut their deficit in half, 5-3. With just one out and a runner in scoring position, Post was unable to add anything else after senior shortstop Caitlin DeAngelis was robbed of a hit by D'Amato who made a tremendous catch at short followed by a putout of Cicala to end the inning.
The bats went quiet for both sides until the seventh when three more runs would cross the plate for the Purple Knights on a two-run double by senior utility player Samantha Schiebe and an RBI single from freshman outfielder Sydnee Perreault to make it an 8-3 game. Before that, Post had a chance to tie things up with two on and nobody out in the fifth before senior pitcher Kaite Burawksi came in to retire the next three hitters and escape the jam. Burawski ran into a jam in the seventh too when she allowed the first two batters to reach base before coming back to get Cicala, senior infielder Lily Tomasiello, and senior outfielder Julia Maida out to end the game.
Game 2: Post University 5, University of Bridgeport 9
Burawski would also pitch game number two for the Purple Knights after throwing 41 pitches in game one and earning the save. She would get a four-run lead with the help of her team as an errant throw by Cicala gave Bridgeport a 1-0 lead after one then a missed catch by Maida on the force out at second plated two more. This allowed the inning to continue long enough for sophomore infielder Mya Jones to knock home one more run in the second to make it a 4-0 score.
But then the Purple Knights would have miscues and mental errors of their own leading to a 4-4 tie after three innings of play. With the bases loaded and one out, Tomasiello's RBI single turned into two runs scoring after a booted ball by senior outfielder Grace Derita scored another and then Post had second and third after McFarland launched the ball to the backstop. That led to the third miscue of the inning for the Purple Knights when senior infielder Hailey Kim elected to try getting the out at home rather than retiring Maida at first and all runners would be safe. With two outs, Maida would wisely work herself into a run down just long enough for Tomasiello to score and tie the game at four all heading into the fourth.
After senior right-hander Maddison Caldwell had been lifted by senior right-hander Jenny Riquelme, she would walk two batters in the fifth and with two outs allow an RBI single to junior catcher Charlee Horton before Benjamin was gunned down advancing to third which ended the inning with Bridgeport on top by one, 5-4. The Purple Knights extended that lead to a healthy 8-4 advantage with doubles by Jones and McFarland as well as a sacrifice fly by D'Amato while Tomasiello got one back for Post in the bottom of the sixth on her home run to dead center field.
Kim tacked on one more for good measure while Burawski took care of business despite Post getting runners on the corners in the seventh to send Bridgeport back to the shoreline with a 9-5 win and a doubleheader sweep.
BY THE NUMBERS
- With three hits today, Caitlin DeAngelis now has 148 hits in her career, moving two away from becoming the 15th player in program history to reach that milestone
- As a team, Post University struck out 18 times across the two games of the doubleheader, but has now scored three-plus runs on offense in five straight games
- Post University is now 2-20 when allowing the first run of the game this season
- In the all-time series, Post University has lost seven straight games against the Purple Knights, last coming out on top back in 2018 with a 14-5 win in five innings at home
WHO'S NEXT
Post University wastes no time getting back on the field tomorrow afternoon at LaMoy against Chestnut Hill College for a doubleheader scheduled to get underway at 2:00 PM. The Eagles have won their last eight games in the all-time series and 26 of 30 games overall against a Griffins team that enters the matchup having won just one game this season and remaining winless in conference play.
