By David F. Pendrys (Eyewitness account checked against official box score.)

BRIDGEPORT, CT- The NYIT Bears swept their double header versus the Bridgeport Purple Knights with a 7-0 win in game 2. NYIT starter Sofia Evangelista was stellar on her way to the win striking out 9 and only allowing 2 hits. Matz would replace her for the last 2 innings and hold steady. Jennine Walsh took the loss for UB giving up 10 hits and 7 runs, 4 earned and striking out 3. Taylor Hendrickson finished the game pitching 1.2 innings and holding NYIT scoreless in that time.

The 1^st inning opened with Tori Duquette hitting a single to left center. Chelsea Gourdin then walked. Kat Zabielski hit into a fielder’s choice but reached base as the play was to third. A grounder to short led to Gourdin got to third on a field’s choice when Averie Schroeder made it to first, but Zabielski was thrown out at second. However, Christina Pantages hit a double scoring Duquette and Schroeder, and the next batter, Josephine Santagata, doubled as well scoring Pantages. The score was now 3-0 which would be enough, but NYIT kept rolling. In the 2^nd inning, Duquette made it to first after a fielding error. Gourdin, the speedster beat out a throw to first base on her grounder. Two walks would follow and Duquette scored naturally. In the bottom of the second Bridgeport did get a runner on with two outs, but Schroeder threw her out a she tried to steal second. The scoring ceased for a little while though in the fourth Gourdin beat out a throw again. UB’s Paige Owens did have a great catch in center to take a hit away from the Bears. Gourdin also stole second during the inning, but no runs would result.

In the bottom of the 5^th UB tired to get something going but with two outs, Kat Bejarano-Moreno made a diving catch in right field to end the inning. In the top of the sixth a fielding error allowed Pantages to make it to first, and she would advance on a ground out. Bejarano-Moreno then doubled her home. After a strike out, Bejarano-Moreno advanced to third on a wild pitch allowing Sonia Marin to drive her home when she hit it to short and a fielding error resulted in her safe arrival at first.

With the score 6-0, UB came to bat in the 5^th but Evangelista struck out the side in her most dominant and last inning.

The dominant Sofia Evangelista

In the top of the 6^th Gourdin singled past short, and Schroeder doubled to get her to third. Pantages then hit the ball down the line for a single and Gourdin got home. This led to UB’s pitching change and ended the scoring for the day.

Gourdin had 3 hits in the game, Pantages had 2 hits and 3 RBI, Santagata had 2 hits as well and a stolen base. UB’s three hits came from Katelyn Wall, Meghan O’Leary, and Ashley Hessler.

NYIT is now 18-14 (10-6 in the ECC) and UB is 7-21 (3-11 in ECC play.)