Click here for Salem State-Worcester State box score

Click here for Framingham State-Westfield State box score

Courtesy Salem State Sports Information

Salem State 7, Worcester State 1

Salem, MA—No. 1 seed Salem State used a five run eighth to pull away from No. 4 seed Worcester State to win 7-1 to advance to the winner's bracket tomorrow in the,  2013 Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference Baseball Tournament. The game was played at the Salem State Central Campus Baseball Field, which will host all of the remaining tournament games this Saturday and Sunday. 

Worcester State's Steve Wallace (Auburn, MA) began the game with a single and advanced to third on a wild pitch and a sac-bunt, then Kurt Sebacinski (Worcester, MA) added a base hit to bring home Wallace to give Worcester State an early 1-0 lead.  Vikings' starting pitcher Cato Lacroix (Holliston, MA) and the Lancers' Nick Bonofiglio (Worcester, MA) then stifled both offenses, and matched goose eggs until the fourth when Salem State tied the game 1-1.

After Cahill doubled and Richard Fecteau (Newbury, MA) walked, catcher Mike Lamothe (Beverly, MA) tied the game with a single that brought home Cahill to even the score.  The Lancers staged a two out rally in the 5th that loaded the bases on two singles and a hit batter, but Lacrox worked his way out of the jam, getting the final out on a pop fly. In the sixth Fecteau put Salem State on top with an RBI single up the middle that scored Matt Burgess (Kingston, MA), who had walked.

Lacroix came out in the 8th after two hits and was relieved by Andrew Guido (Peabody, MA), who preserved the one-run game.  In the bottom of the inning, Salem State finally got to Bonfiglio, who gave up three straight hits, including an RBI single by Fecteau that scored Burgess, who led off with a base hit. The cycle continued as Kyle McElroy (Newburyport, Mass.) laid down a beautiful bunt for a base hit that loaded the bases, and Lamouthe walked to add another run. Steve Buitkus (Reading, Mass.) plated two more runs when his fly ball was misplayed in left. Lamothe made the score 7-1 when he crossed the plate on a wild pitch. Joe Piscitelli (Oxford, MA) came on in relief for Worcester State and ended the inning on a pop up.

Bonofiglio (Worcester, MA) went 7.2 innings, and gave up eight hits, seven runs, five walks with seven strikeouts to drop to 3-5 on the year.  Lacroix evened his record at 3-3, pitching 7.2 innings and scattering ten hits, and allowing just one run on four strikeouts for the Vikings. Guido notched his fifth save of the year, after going 11/3 innings and allowing just two hits.

The Lancers out-hit Salem State,12-8, but did no record an extra base hit. Cahill, two hits with two runs, and Fecteau, 2-for-3 with a run and two RBI led the way for the Vikings.

Salem State plays Framingham State, which defeated Westfield State 9-3, tomorrow at 1:00 PM, while Worcester State will play the Owls in an elimination game at 10:00 AM.

Courtesy Framingham State Sports Information

Framingham State 9, Westfield State 3

Framingham, Mass. – The second seed Framingham State University baseball team advances to the winner’s bracket after defeating third seed Westfield State University 9-3 this afternoon in one quarterfinal of the 2013 Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) Baseball Championship at Bowditch Field.

With the win, the Rams improve to 17-21 on the year and advance to the winner’s round game on Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m. against top seed Salem State University, who defeated Worcester State, 7-1, earlier this afternoon in the other quarterfinal.

With the loss, the Owls are now 17-20 on the season and will play an elimination game on Saturday morning at 10 a.m. against Worcester State.  Both games and the remainder of the double elimination tournament will be played at top seed Salem State University on Saturday with the Championship Round following on Sunday afternoon.

The Rams grabbed the lead in the bottom of the third as they capitalized on three Westfield errors to score four unearned runs. Junior Billy Desroiser (Shrewsbury, Mass.) led off the inning with a single down the leftfield line and was sacrificed over to second.  Sophomore Cameron Couillard (North Andover, Mass.) followed with a slow grounder to third that caused the infielder to rush his throw and it sailed out of play allowing Desroiser to cross the plate with the first run.  Senior Justin Forman (Watertown, Mass.) followed with an RBI single to left and after junior Anthony Iafolla (Medfield, Mass.) reached on another Westfield error senior Will Crofton (Hopkinton, Mass.) plated a pair with a rope down the leftfield line.

Framingham State added to their lead in the bottom of the fourth as they took advantage of another WSU fielding miscue with Couillard delivering a run on a single and Crofton doubling in another.  Sophomore Mark Mainini (Hull, Mass.) legged out an infield hit to score the Rams third run of the inning and push the advantage to 7-0.

The Owls got on the board in the top of the fifth as sophomore Tim Santilli (Southbridge, Mass.) reached on a single.  A double by freshman Connor Sheridan (South Hadley, Mass.) gave them runners on second and third with one out.  Sophomore Jeremy Tanguay (Huntington, Mass.) followed with a fly ball to right and Santilli was able to slide around the tag at the plate after the throw had beat him there, cutting the deficit to 7-1.

Framingham State countered with two in the bottom of the frame on a two RBI single through the left side by Iafolla with two outs and the bases loaded that extended the lead to 9-1.

The Owls added a pair of runs in the top of the eighth on an RBI double to deep center off the bat of senior Kevin Greene (Worcester, Mass.) that scored sophomore Pat McWilliams (Duxbury, Mass.), who had walked with two out.  Senior Andrew Medeiros (Acushnet, Mass.) followed with a single down the leftfield line scoring Greene to reach the final margin 9-3.

Junior Matt DiCato (Winthrop, Mass.), the 2013 MASCAC Baseball Pitcher of the Year, recorded his seventh victory of the season on the hill today as he tossed his seventh complete game.  DiCato allowed just three runs, all earned, on nine hits with a walk and three strikeouts.

Junior Kevin Zyrkowski (Hingham, Mass.) was tagged with the loss for the Owls as he went four innings surrendering seven runs, all unearned, on eight hits with a walk and five strikeouts.  Freshman Joe Alibrandi (Quincy, Mass.) tossed three innings of relief and gave up two runs on three hits, before giving way to Connor Buckley (Acton, Mass.) and Josh Raymond (Lancaster, Mass.) who combined for an inning of scoreless relief.

The Rams were led at the plate by Iafolla who went 2-for-4 with two runs scored and two RBI and Crofton who went 2-for-5 with three RBI.  Couillard picked up a pair of hits and scored three times.

The Owls were led offensively by freshman Tyler Adams (West Barnstable, Mass.) who went 2-for-4, while Greene, Medeiros and Tanguay all drove in runs with their one hit in the game.