Purple Knights Drop Two One-Run ECC Softball Decisions At NYIT

Old Westbury, N.Y.-The University of Bridgeport softball team was swept in an East Coast Conference doubleheader in its final road games of the 2017 season, as UB fell in two one-run games to the host NYIT Bears on Long Island, losing game one, 4-3, and falling in game two, 5-4, in eight innings.  The Purple Knights are now 19-24 overall and 7-15 in conference play.  The Bears up their season overall record to 24-16, and their conference mark to 14-10.

In game one, the Purple Knights trailed 4-0 heading into the top of the sixth inning, but made a game of things by scoring three runs on a pair of Bears' errors to cut the deficit to 4-3.  Bridgeport had the tying run on second base with no outs in the top of the seventh following a double by freshman Allison Luzzi (East Haven, Conn.), but she was left stranded, as NYIT picked up the win in the opener.

In game two, Bridgeport held leads of 3-0 and 4-3 only to see the hosts rally to win in extra innings.

In the nightcap, senior Ashley Hessler (Pawtucket, R.I.) had three hits, and classmate Meghan O'Leary (Lafayette, N.J.) had two hits and an RBI, plus freshman Abbigail Blanchard (Pawcatuck, Conn.) and junior Yalitza Rodriguez (Freeport, N.Y.) added two hits apiece as part of a 12-hit UB attack.

Up next, the UB softball team closes out the 2017 regular season at home with a 12 noon Sunday doubleheader in Seaside Park versus LIU Post.