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Courtesy Worcester State Sports Information

Salem State 7, Worcester State 1

Worcester, MA --- Senior Kaitlyn Fanning (E. Boston, MA/St. Mary’s) fanned eight in a complete game victory to help propel #3 Salem State to a 7-1 triumph over top-seeded Worcester State in the losers bracket of the MASCAC Softball Tournament semifinals this afternoon at Rockwood Park.
 
With the win the Vikings improve to 30-12 and move to the semifinal elimination game at 4 PM. They will take on the victor of the winner’s bracket game at 2 PM between #2 Bridgewater State and fourth-seeded Westfield State.
 
In the setback, the Lancers have been eliminated from the tournament and they fall to 21-19 overall. The Blue and Gold await word on a possible ECAC Division III Softball Tournament bid on selection Monday.
 
Salem State broke a scoreless game in the top of the fourth on an RBI double to left by junior Christina Cipriani (Peabody, MA).
 
Worcester State tied the score 1-1 in the bottom of the fifth as they juiced the bases with two outs. Junior Aimee Lamoureux (E. Brookfield, MA) drew a walk to equalize the game, but Fanning ended the threat with a strikeout to get out of the jam.
 
SSU promptly answered in the top of the sixth by plating an unearned run on a sacrifice fly by Cipriani to make the score 2-1.
 
After Fanning tossed a scoreless sixth, the Vikings put the game away with a five-run seventh highlighted by run producing singles by senior Gabbie Vitale (Danvers, MA) and junior Alyssa Bryan (Stoneham, MA).
 
Freshman Jenn Toussaint (Reading, MA) also blasted her MASCAC-leading 10th homer of the season with a two-run leftfield shot to cap off the scoring for the Vikings.
 
The Lancers went 1-2-3 in the seventh as Fanning would earn the victory to improve her record to 11-6. Fanning yielded five hits and issued four walks.
 
Junior Hannah Everson (Methuen, MA) was tagged with the setback as she allowed seven runs (six earned) on nine hits to go with three walks and a pair of strikeouts.
 
Byran, Cipriani and senior Michelle Grifoni (Peabody, MA) all finished with two base-knocks each while Bryan crossed home plate twice.
 
Worcester State had a frustrating day at the plate with no multi-hitters. WSU stranded eight in total and a trio of runners in scoring position.

Westfield State 4, Bridgewater State 0

Worcester, MA --- Senior Madeline Tomich (Alford, MA) hurled a six-hit shutout with 10 strikeouts as she helped lead #4 Westfield State to a 4-0 triumph over #2 Bridgewater State in the winners bracket semifinals of the 2012 MASCAC Softball tournament this afternoon at Rockwood Park.
 
The Owls (21-18) advance to tomorrow’s title game which will be contested at 12 PM at Worcester State’s Rockwood Park. The Bears (29-12) will duke it out with Salem State in the elimination game of the semifinals later today at 4:30.
 
Westfield State opened the game with the 3-0 advantage as the Owls touched up BSU starter Meghan Dunn (Colchester, CT) for a trio of runs.
 
Dunn yielded two singles and a walk to load the bases before she was lifted for sophomore Amber White (Middleboro, MA) who gave up a two-run single to freshman Vicki Hill (W. Springfield, MA) and another RBI safety to third-year Brittany Dussault (Chicopee, MA) before ending the frame on a strikeout.
 
Bridgewater State would respond and make Tomich work over the next three innings, but they would leave the bases loaded in both the second and third innings. 
 
Tomich then settled down and set down nine of her next ten batters with five coming by way of strikeout into the final frame.
 
White matched her opponent with five straight zero innings as she would retire 13 of 19 until the seventh.
 
Westfield State scored its fourth run on the first career homer by senior Lisa Policelli (Tewksbury, MA) on a solo jack to left in the seventh.
 
The Bears made one final stand by juicing the bases for the third time of the contest in the bottom of the seventh, but the rally would ultimately fall short as Tomich pitched herself out of the jam with a punch out to end the game.
 
Tomich (12-8) walked four in her 16th complete game and seventh shutout of the season. Dunn (13-7) was tagged with the setback for allowing the first runs of the contest to score.
 
Sophomore Bri Eichstaedt (Southampton, MA) was 2-fo-2 for the Owls while junior Jordan McDermott (E. Bridgewater, MA) and second-year Jasmyn McCone (Taunton, MA) both had two safeties each for the Bears.
 
Bridgewater State led in hits, 7-6, and they would strand 11 on base for the game – eight in scoring position.

Salem State 7, Bridgewater State 5

Worcester, MA --- Salem State sophomore Paige Flemming (Methuen, MA) went 2-for-3 with a three-run triple as she helped propel the #3 seeded Vikings to a 7-5 triumph over second-seeded Bridgewater State in the elimination game of the MASCAC softball tournament semifinals this afternoon at Rockwood Park.
 
Salem State (31-11) moves on to play #4 Westfield State in the MASCAC Championship game on Sunday at 12 PM.  The Bears end their league tournament run and season with a 29-13 record. 
 
The Owls had previously defeated Bridgewater State, 4-0, earlier in the day to move on the title game. 
 
The Bears grabbed the early 2-0 advantage in the bottom of the first inning.  With the bases loaded, sophomore Jasmyn McCone (Taunton, MA) scored after senior Penny King (Hanover, MA) got plunked in the shin.  In BSU’s next at-bat, junior Jordan McDermott (E. Bridgewater, MA), hit a RBI-single to left field to score classmate Brianna Strecker (Waterford, CT).
 
The Vikings (31-11) responded in the top of the second frame.  With the bases loaded and no outs, Flemming ripped a liner in the right-center gap that scored junior teammates Alyssa Bryan (Stoneham, MA), Christina Cipriani (Peabody, MA) and freshman Jenn Toussaint (Reading, MA) to give SSU the 3-2 edge. 
 
However, Bridgewater State sophomore Amber White (Middleboro, MA) was able to retire the next three batters in order to end Salem State’s rally.
 
BSU knotted the score at 3-3 in the bottom of the third as fourth-year Stephanie Burns (N. Attleboro, MA) hit an infield RBI-single back to the pitcher to plate King. 
 
In the top half of the fourth inning, Salem pushed ahead 4-3 as Cipriani scored an unearned run on an errant throw by the shortstop.
 
The Vikings would tack on three key insurance runs in the top of the seventh inning for the 7-3 advantage. 
 
With one out, sophomore Amanda Flower (Reading, MA) and senior Michelle Grifoni (Peabody, MA) slammed back-to-back doubles - with Flower scoring on Grifoni’s – to begin the surge.
 
Fourth-year Gabbie Vitale (Danvers, MA) was issued a free pass in the next at-bat to put runners on first and second.  The ensuing batter, junior Lauren Garchinsky (Saugus, MA) hit a grounder back to the pitcher who overthrew the third baseman which allowed Grifoni to score.  Vitale later crossed the plate on a groundout-RBI by Bryan.  
 
The Bears tried to mount a comeback in the bottom of the seventh, but to no avail.  After two consecutive safeties by Strecker and junior Jennifer Shaw (Brockton, MA), King hit a double down the left field line to score both runners and cut the deficit to 7-5. 
 
Bryan was then lifted in favor of senior Katelynn Fanning (E. Boston, MA) who came in and retired the next three batters in order – with two coming by way of strikeout – for her second save of the season to help clinch the victory for the Vikings.
 
Bryan (16-4) picked up the win as she pitched six-plus innings and scattered five hits and five earned runs.  She had two punch-outs and issued five free passes.  Fanning picked up her second save of the season with her one perfect inning of relief.
 
White (16-6) was dealt with the loss as she went seven innings and allowed seven runs (five earned) and nine base-knocks.  She had one walk and fanned two batters.  
 
In addition to Fleming, Flower and Toussaint had multi-hit games for the Vikings while Strecker and McDermott each had two hits apiece for Bridgewater State.  Strecker went 2-for-4 with a pair of runs scored in the loss.   
 
Salem State held the slight 9-8 edge in the hitting department while the Bears left nine runners (five in scoring position) on base to SSU’s four.