WHITTIER, Calif. (BC Athletics) – The Bridgewater College softball team split a pair of games with Whittier to wrap up its trip to southern California.

Game 1
The Basics
Score: Bridgewater 5, Whittier 0
Records: Bridgewater 6-3, Whittier 2-4

How It Happened
• Caroline Malandra opened the day with a double to right center. Mackenzie Cauthorn followed and laid down a bunt to move her over. McKenna Mueller dug in next and grounded out, but Malandra scored to make it 1-0 BC before the Poets got to the plate.
• Whittier opened the game by going down on strikes to Cauthorn in the circle. The Poets drew a walk, but the senior regrouped as another punchout left the runner stranded. BC looked to respond and got a runner aboard after an error, but pinch runner Molly Ecroyd was left stranded at second.
• The poets put two runner on with no outs in the bottom of the second, but Cauthorn regrouped and got out of the jam unscathed thanks to a pair of strikeouts. Both teams went down in order in the third frame, but Mueller and Andrea Savage opened the fourth inning with base kncoks for BC. A groundout moved both runners into scoring position and Leiah Branch delivered with a single up the middle to drive in Mueller and make it 2-0. McKenna Dayton dug in next and singled to the right side and scratched Savage across to extend the lead. Abby Byrum stepped in next with Branch and Dayton on and blew the game open with a two-run double to make it 5-0.
• Cauthron worked through the poets in order in the bottom of the fourth, and singled at the dish to open the top of the fifth. Mueller followed her with a base rip, but both were left stranded after a pair of BC strikeouts and a pop out in foul ground.
• The senior continued to roll in the circle until a double to open the bottom of the sixth looked to get Whittier in business. Cauthorn regrouped once again as a strikeout righted the ship and a pair of pop ups got BC out of the jam. Whittier put the leadoff runner on in the bottom of the seventh on an infield hit, but another strikeout and two flyouts to Byrum in left field secured the win.
Match Notes,
• Cauthorn (3-2) hurled her 13th career shutout to tie for fifth in program history. She matched her career-high with 10 strikeouts and surrendered just six base runners. Mueller paced the offense with a pair of hits and a RBI. Byrum drove in a pair of runs in the win.
• Peinado (2-1) took the loss for Whittier after tossing 3.1 innings of work and giving up all five runs. Richardson has two of the Poets’ four hits in game one.

Game 2
The Basics
Score: Whittier 4, Bridgewater 3
Records: Bridgewater 6-4, Whittier 3-4

How It Happened
• Malandra opened game two by reaching on an error and swiped second an at bat later. Mueller reached on an error in the next at bat and stole second, but the Poets turned a nifty 5-3-2 double play as Savage was out at first and Malandra was tagged out at the plate to keep the game scoreless.
• Whittier did its damage in the top of the first. The Poets opened the game with a triple to right field and drove in the runner with a single that followed. BC got the first out on a fielder’s choice, but a groundout moved the next runner to scoring position with two gone. A wild pitch moved the runner to third and while Lexi Schaaf was gathering herself after recovering the ball and flipping it to Kylie Jones, the runner bolted for home and no one was there to cover, making it 2-0. A walk followed to extend the frame and the next Poets batter singled up the middle, allowing the runner to score and make it 3-0. BC made a call to the bullpen and Evelyn Rhoads entered and got the final out of the long opening stanza.
• Byrum opened the top of the second with a single and Schaaf followed with a knock an out later to put two runners on with an out. Lily Moyers drew a four pitch walk to load the bases and Aniella Baldwin delivered with a single to drive in a run and cut into the lead. Malandra flew out during the next at bat, but it was not deep enough to allow a tag and a fielder’s choice followed to end the inning and leave the bases loaded.
• Rhoads delivered a clean frame in the bottom of the second, and Mueller opened the third inning with a single. Kaelyn Ramsey drew a walk later in the frame, but again BC left both runners out on the base paths. Rhoad delivered again in the bottom half of the inning and another leadoff hit followed in the top of the fourth. BC left the runner stranded in scoring position once more after a trio of popouts. Whittier added to the lead with a solo home run to start the bottom of the fourth to make it 4-1, but Rhoads regrouped and got out of the frame.
• BC stranded runners on base in the fifth and sixth innings, but finally cashed in during the seventh. Brianna Petrolia opened the frame with a four-pitch walk and Mueller followed with a double to right center to bring the tying run to the plate with no outs. The Poets made a pitching change and regrouped as Bridgewater was quickly down to its last two outs. Ramsey stepped in next and delivered with a flare the opposite way to drive in both runners to make it 4-3. Ramsey was now sitting on second, just 120 feet away from tying the game, but a flyout to deep right center ended the comeback effort.
Match Notes,
• Jones (1-1) took the loss for BC after surrendering three earned runs and recording two outs. Rhods allowed just three hits in 5.1 innings of relief . Mueller tallied a pair of hits in game two, but the Eagles left 10 runners on base.
• Torres (1-1) picked up the win after surrendering seven hits in six innings of work. Richardson and Pulachet each tallied a pair of hits and drove in a run for the Poets offensively.

Up Next
Bridgewater returns back to the Commonwealth and then heads south to Methodist on Sunday for a twin bill.

— BC Athletics —