Courtesy Westfield State Sports Information

WESTFIELD, Mass. – Junior Kristyn Carroll (Brockton) cracked a three-run double and sophomore pitcher Madelaine Tomich (Alford) fired a two-hitter to lead Westfield State to a 4-1 victory over Salem State in the semifinals of the MASCAC softball tournament on Saturday, May 8.

Westfield, 26-11, advances to Sunday’s 12:00 p.m. championship game and it will host Salem State, which edged Framingham, 7-6, in Saturday's second elimination game. Westfield is undefeated in the double elimination tournament, and the MASCAC champ receives and automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Tournament. If Salem defeats Westfield in Sunday's 12:00 matchup, the team's will follow with a winner-take-all game.

Tomich and Salem sophomore Katelynn Fanning (East Boston) were locked in a pitching duel until Westfield scored four runs in the bottom of the sixth inning on just one hit, Carroll’s bases clearing double.

In the Westfield’s decisive sixth inning, Lisa Policelli (Tewksbury) drew a one-out walk and Kerin DeGirolamo (North Attleboro) reached safely on a throwing error by Fanning to place runners aT second and third.

Junior third baseman Alicia Gardner (Athol) – the 2010 MASCAC player of the year – was intentionally walked to load the bases. Westfield senior shortstop Kim Brennan (Douglas) then hit a grounder to first base. The first baseman’s throw for the forceout at homeplate was low and dropped by the catcher for an error, allowing Policelli to score and make it 1-0.

After a forceout at home for the second out, Carroll lofted a towering fly ball in the right-center field gap for a 4-0 Owl lead.

Tomich – the MASCAC pitcher of the year – allowed an unearned run in Salem’s final at bat on a two-out walk, a fielding error that placed runners at first and third and a delayed steal of home.

It was Westfield’s only error as it executed well defensively, including an unusual triple play in the fifth inning. With runners at first and second and no outs, Salem’s Christina Cipriani bunted with two strikes. Gardner caught the bunt popup for the first out and doubled the runner off first for the second out. Thinking it was the final out of the inning, the Viking at second base started jogging off the field and was ruled out for running out of the basepaths.

Tomich struck out eight and walked three in boosting her record to 16-3. Fanning also threw a two-hitter, walking two and fanning six; her record is 18-5.

Gardner had Westfield’s other hit, a first-inning single. Singling for Salem were Taylor Orlando (Danvers) and Lauren Garchinsky (Saugus).

Framingham State 9, Worcester State 8

(Courtesy Worcester State Sports Information)

Westfield, MA --- Sophomore classmates Christy Ulak (Rehoboth, MA) and Katie Donovan (Holden, MA) each smashed two-run homers in a seven-run uprising in the sixth inning to help lift #4 Framingham State over third-seeded Worcester State, 9-8, in the losers bracket of the MASCAC Softball tournament this afternoon at Westfield’s Alumni Field.

The Rams (17-21) will play #2 Salem State in the final game of the semifinals to determine who top-seeded Westfield State will face in tomorrow's championship. The Owls defeated the Vikings, 4-1, in the winners bracket game.

The Lancers (19-17) await word on a possible ECAC bid on selection Monday.

Trailing 6-2 entering the top of the sixth, junior Michaella Mahoney (Shrewsbury, MA) fanned the first batter she faced in the frame, but then soon gave up the first homer to Donovan, following a walk. Third-year Kelly Reardon (Groveland, MA) tripled to center before Mahoney struck out the number nine hitter to put two outs on the board, but Mahoney would have trouble retiring the final batter.

Senior Megan Dumas (Holden, MA) singled to drive in Reardon and then she moved into scoring position on a wild pitch. Junior Kasey Phipps (Westford, MA) plated Dumas for the go ahead run to set the stage for Donovan’s home run off of sophomore reliever Marcy Rumrill (Orange, MA).

The Rams would score a key insurance run before the inning would be over as Taylor Ezold (Westfield, MA) followed the homer with a double. On the next play, Ezold reached third on a wild throw on a ground ball from the pitcher that went by first base and then she came around to score as the first baseman’s toss to home was too high to be handled by the catcher. Rumrill though would end the seventh with a punch out.

Worcester State would get back to within a run of the lead in the bottom of the sixth on an RBI single by sophomore Erica Cordio (Leominster, MA) and an RBI double by classmate Jamie Jacobs (Billerica, MA). But, the Lancers would leave the tying and go-ahead runs stranded as second-year Alysia Morrissette (Ware, MA) induced a ground-out to end the inning.

After the Rams failed to score in the top of the seventh with a scoreless inning by freshman Melissa Beaudry (Worcester, MA), Morrissette came back out into the circle to hurl a perfect frame to bounce WSC from the tournament.

The Blue and Gold went up 2-0 early on in the contest as they took advantage of a pair of walks and a wild pitch when junior Kaitlyn Laflash (Northbridge, MA) drove in a pair.

Framingham State eventually responded in the top of the fourth as third-year Andrea DiTerlizzi (Shrewsbury, MA) tallied a run-producing double and Donovan tacked on an RBI single.

The Lancers used a four-run bottom of the fourth to go up 6-2 as they were highlighted by a plated run by sophomore Ashley Howe (Winchendon, MA) and a three-run homer by Cordio.

Mahoney (13-9) hurled 5 2/3 innings allowing seven earned runs on 11 hits while she walked and struck out a pair of batters.

Morrissette (9-13) went the distance as she yielded eight runs (five earned) on nine hits as she walked three and fanned a pair.

The Rams out hit Worcester State 14-9 as both squads made a combined seven miscues.

Donovan went 3-for-4 with a trio of plated runs while Dumas, Phipps and DiTerlizzi each notched a pair of hits for Framingham State. Cordio and Jacobs each went 2-for-3 as Cordio finished the day with three runs and four RBIs.

Salem State 7, Framingham State 6

(Courtesy Framingham State Sports Information)

Westfield, Mass. – Freshman Christina Cipriani (Peabody, Mass.) blooped a one-out, bases loaded single over the first baseman to drive in the winning run and give Salem State a 7-6 comeback victory over Framingham State in a loser’s bracket semifinal game of the MASCAC softball tournament on Saturday, May 8.

Framingham State, the No. 4 seed, finishes the season 17-22 with the loss.  Salem, 31-8-1 and the No. 2 seed, advances to Sunday’s championship game and will play No. 1 seed Westfield State, which is still unbeaten in the double elimination tournament. The game at Westfield begins at 12:00 p.m.   Salem would have to defeat Westfield twice to capture the MASCAC crown and an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

Framingham-Salem was a back-and-forth elimination game. The Vikings took a 3-0 first-inning lead with the big blow a two-run single by freshman shortstop Lauren Garchinsky (Peabody, Mass.).

Framingham rallied to take a 5-3 lead with four runs in the fourth and a run in the fifth.  The Rams collected four hits in the fourth, with junior outfielder Kasey Phipps (Westford, Mass.) and freshman outfielder Kendra Fisher (Abington, Mass.) both rapping two-run singles. Fisher also picked up an RBI single in the fifth.

With two outs and a runner on first in the fifth inning, the Vikings rallied for three runs on three hits to take a 6-5 lead. Salem scored its runs an RBI single by Garschinsky, a wild pitch and a Framingham State throwing error.

Framingham knotted the score in the top of the seventh on an RBI single by junior Kelly Reardon (Groveland, Mass.). The Rams had runners on second and third with one out but the Vikings got out of the jam. Relief pitcher Sarra Bergeron (Methuen, Mass.) made an outstanding grab of a lined shot up the middle for the second out. Starting pitcher Katelynn Fanning (East Boston, Mass.) then reentered the game and recorded a strikeout to end the inning.

Salem’s seventh-inning rally started when Taylor Orlando (Danvers, Mass.) led off with a single to left field and Amanda Scola (Leominster, Mass.) dropped a beautiful bunt hit in front of home plate. Orlando advanced to third on the bunt and Jess Baird (Worcester, Mass.) was intentionally walked to load the bases. After Garchinsky struck out swinging, Cipriani delivered the game-winning hit on a 3-1 pitch.

Framingham out-hit Salem, 13-12. Garchinsky was 2 for 4 with three RBI. Collecting two hits for the Vikings were Sarah Brown (North Attleboro, Mass.), Orlando, Cipriani and Gabbie Vitalie (Danvers, Mass.), who had a double.

Fisher was 2 for 4 with three RBI for the Rams and junior DP Andrea DiTerlizzi (Shrewsbury, Mass.) was 3 for 4. Freshman Taylor Ezold (Westfield, Mass.) and Katie Donovan (Holden, Mass.) rapped two singles.

Fanning pitched four complete innings for the pitching victory; she allowed seven hits and four runs and struck out five. Sophomore Alysia Morrissette (Ware, Mass.) pitched her second complete game of the day to sustain the loss.