STAUNTON, Va. – The Bridgewater College softball team split a pair of games with Mary Baldwin on Wednesday in Staunton behind two big flies from Kaelyn Ramsey in the opening inning of game two.

The Basics
Scores: Game 1: Mary Baldwin 9, Bridgewater 3; Game 2 (5 inn.): Bridgewater 13, Mary Baldwin 2
Records: Bridgewater 10-4; Mary Baldwin 12-6

How It Happened
Game 1

• Hannah Mahan reached for Bridgewater in the top of the first but was gunned down on her way to second. MBU struck in the home half of the first as a single and a walk put two runners on for the home team. Mackenzie Cauthorn sat down the three-hole hitter looking, but a Hadley May three-run blast followed to put MBU in front 3-0. Mary Baldwin continued to roll as it loaded the bases as a pair of fielder's choices drove in runs to push the lead to 5-0. An Eagles error extended the inning and a base-clearing double stretched the scoreline to 8-0 before a strikeout from Elana Williams ended the long inning.
• The Eagles looked to respond, but Ramsey was left stranded after a base rip. Williams put the Fighting Squirrels down in order in the bottom of the second and a Sarah Kate Tozier single got BC in business in the top of the third. Aniella Baldwin followed with a base knock and a single from Jordan Wise later in the inning drove Tozier in to make it 8-1.  
• MBU put runners on to start the home half of the third, but three straight outs from Kylie Jones left them stranded. Ramsey singled again in the top of the fourth and was put out on a fielder's choice for the second out of the frame, but a single from Andrea Savage pushed lead-runner Lexi Schaaf to second. Tozier followed with a clutch base rip to drive in Schaaf from second to make it 8-2.
• Both sides went down in order their next time through before Mary Baldwin scratched across a run in the bottom of the fifth to extend the lead to 9-2. Jazmyne Smith opened the top of the sixth with a double in response, but her pinch runner Caroline Malandra was left stranded at third.
• MBU stranded a runner at third in the bottom of the sixth and BC looked to make something happen in the bottom of the seventh. Tozier singled to open the inning and a hit-and-run on a ground out moved her all the way to third. A sacrifice fly by Abby Byrum drove Tozier in, but a ground out spoiled the rally.

Match Notes

• Tozier and Ramsey fueled the offense in game one. Tozier went 3-for-3 at the dish and scored twice, while Ramsey racked up a pair of hits. Cauthorn (4-2) took the loss after recording just an out. Jones allowed just one hit in innings of work in relief down the stretch.
• Emily McCreery (4-2) picked up the win in the circle for MBU tossing 6.0 innings and allowing a pair of earned runs. Switala and May each drove in three runs for the home side offensively.

 Game 2

• Bridgewater hung up a crooked number to start game two. Baldwin walked to open the game and swiped second before Ramsey launched a ball over the center field fence for her second home run of the season to make it 2-0 early. Wise walked following the two-run blast and Smith followed suit. Leiah Branch stepped in next and doubled to drive Wise in and make it 3-0. MBU made a call to the bullpen, but BC kept the foot on the gas. Skyler Buzbee doubled through the right side to drive in Smith and Lily Moyers drove in Branch with her base rip. With Tozier at the plate next, BC put on the double steal and executed to perfection. Tozier squared to bunt and missed as Moyers got in a rundown on her way to second and Buzbee trotted home to make it 6-0 with just one out. Baldwin came up later in the inning and singled with two away and drove Moyers in. Ramsey dug in for the second time in the opening inning and did the same thing as before with her second two-run blast of the inning and made it 9-0 for the Eagles before MBU even got to the dish.
• Mary Baldwin put the leadoff runner on in the bottom of the first, but a pair of strikeouts by Evelyn Rhoads shut down the threat. The home team went to its third different pitcher in just over an inning to open the second. Smith walked and another Branch double put two runners in scoring position. Buzbee did her job with a sacrifice fly the opposite way to make it 10-0.
• Rhoads went back out and came back into the dugout quickly in the home half of the second as MBU went down in order. Both Rhoads and the newest relief hurler for MBU, Tillman, each began to settle in as neither side saw a base runner until the bottom of the fourth.
• A single by the home side with one away in the fourth ended the pitching dominance of the middle frames and a two-run home run by May during the next at bat gave Mary Baldwin life trailing 10-2. Rhodes induced two ground outs to get out of the frame.
• BC added on in the fifth as Buzbee reached on an error and Moyers followed with a double. Tozier continued her good day at the dish as she grounded out in her next at bat but drove in the pinch runner Malandra. Molly Ecroyd dug in next and doubled to drive in Moyers and make it 12-2. Ecroyd scored later in the inning on a Wise double to cap of the inning at a 13-2 Eagles' lead. Rhoads came out for the fifth and sat MBU down swinging in order to secure the run-rule victory.

Match Notes

• Ramsey's two home run game is the first for BC since Smith went deep twice in a win over Ferrum in 2023. Four different Eagles had multi-hit efforts in game two and Buzbee tossed in two RBI. Rhoads (2-1) took the victory in the circle tossing five innings and fanning six.
• Shull (1-1) takes the loss for MBU after allowing five earned runs and recording just one out. May drove in both Mary Baldwin runs.

Up Next
The Eagles are back in action with a pair of doubleheaders at home this weekend. Guilford visits the nest on Saturday for a pair of games starting at 1 p.m.