Purple Knights Rally For 8-6 Home ECC Softball Victory Over Mercy

Bridgeport, Conn.-The University of Bridgeport softball team faced deficits of 4-0 after the top of the first inning and 6-3 after the top of second inning before the Purple Knights rallied with three runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to post an 8-6 East Coast Conference home win over the visiting Mercy College Mavericks on Sunday afternoon.  The victory snaps a six-game losing streak for UB and ups the team's overall record to 11-17 and the team's ECC mark to an even 6-6.  Mercy slips to 4-22 overall and 1-9 in conference play.

Freshman Ashley Hessler (Pawtucket, R.I.) led a 13-hit Bridgeport offensive attack with three hits.  Jade Blair (Jr., West Deptford, N.J.), Katelyn Wall (Jr., Madison, Conn.) and freshman Meghan O'Leary (Lafayette, N.J.) also chipped in two hits apiece for the winners.  O'Leary, Sydney Phillips (Jr., Sebastopol, Calif.) plus Paige Owens (So., Berlin, Conn.) each had two runs batted in for the Purple Knights.

In the pitching circle, freshman Alyssa Bua (Cornwall, N.Y.) picked up her fifth win of the season (5-1), as she worked four innings of shutout relief allowing only one base hit; while striking out two and issuing no walks.  Senior Tiffany Irrera (Brooklyn, N.Y.) hurling a scoreless seventh inning to notch her six save of the season.

The UB softball team will look to begin a winning streak on Monday, April 7, when the Purple Knights host Nyack College in a non-conference doubleheader slated to begin at 3:00 p.m.