Framingham State, Westfield State Advance to Winner's Bracket of MASCAC Softball Tournament

Framingham State and Westfield State advanced to the winner's bracket of the MASCAC Softball Tournament after defeating their quarterfinal opponents on Friday afternoon.

Framingham State, Westfield State Advance to Winner's Bracket of MASCAC Softball Tournament
May 10, 2024

Framingham State and Westfield State advanced to the winner's bracket of the MASCAC Softball Tournament after defeating their quarterfinal opponents on Friday afternoon. 

#1 Westfield State 5, #4 Salem State 0    Box Score

WESTFIELD, Mass.  –  Westfield State starting pitcher Katherine Canty (Natick, Mass.) tossed a three-hit shutout and 1B Sarah Bingham (Reno, Nev.) socked a 2-run homerun to center field as the top seeded Owls blanked #4 Salem State, 5-0 in a Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference softball tournament game on Friday afternoon.

With the win, Westfield improves to 27-11-1 on the season, setting a school-record for wins in a season and advancing directly to the winner's bracket semifinal tomorrow at 11:00 a.m.

Salem slips to 14-25 overall and will play in the elimination bracket at 1:00 p.m. tomorrow.

Canty (W, 11-3) needed just 74 pitches in shutting down the Viking bats. She struck out seven and walked none, contributing to the game being completed in a tidy 1:13.  She allowed singles in the fourth, sixth and seventh and never allowed a runner to reach second, as Owls C Christina Ciampa (Rockville, Conn./Vernon-Rockville) threw out Alison Frost attempting to steal second in the sixth.   Jordyn Lummus (Pittsfield, Mass.) tracked down a line smash in the gap in left center to retire Emily Henning to start the sixth inning on the hardest hit ball of the day.

Westfield pushed across two runs in the third inning as Kiana Kalman (Somers, Conn.), making just her eighth start of the year led off with an infield single, was sacrificed to second, and scored on Ciampa's RBI double to right center.   Ciampa scored when Sarah Bingham reached on an error.

Bingham delivered the big hit of the afternoon with a line-drive home run just left of center, after Hannah Wodecki (Southampton, Mass.) reached on a single in the fifth, putting Westfield on to 4-0 and chasing Salem starter Gracie Martineau (Westminster, Mass./Oakmont) (L, 4-9).  

Westfield added another run when Kalman singled in the sixth, and Lummus' single was misplayed, allowing the Kalman to come all the way around to score.

Kalman and Mia Alfonso each had a pair of hits for the Owls.   Alaina Giuliano (Malden, Mass.) had two of the three Salem hits.

Westfield's 27th win broke the mark set in 2010, when coach Lou Ann Simchak's Owls club was 26-13 and advanced to the MASCAC Championship game.  Wodecki's base hit in the fifth gives her 59 for the season, setting a school record.  She had entered the game tied with Kerin DeGiralamo, who had 58 during the 2010 season.

 

#2 Framingham State 11, #3 Worcester State 10  (13 Innings)   Box Score

Framingham, Mass. - The second seed Framingham State University softball team took advantage of a Lancer error in the bottom of the 13th to plate the winning run as the Rams came out on top 11-10 over third seed Worcester State this afternoon in Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) Softball Tournament second round game at Maple Street Field.  

THE BASICS: 

- Scores:  Framingham State 11, Worcester State 10 (13 Innings) 

- Records: Framingham State (21-17), Worcester State (26-15) 

- Location:  Maple Street Field – Framingham, Mass. 

INSIDE THE NUMBERS: 

  • The Rams grabbed a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first on a three run blast from Kelsey McGuill. 

  • The Lancers plated single runs in the top of the third, fourth and fifth tying the game at 3-3. The Lancers took their first lead of the day in the top of the sixth on a two run double from Emma Lapoint. 

  • The Rams plated three in the bottom of the inning on a three run homer from Makayla Rooney retaking the lead 6-5. 

  • The Lancers tied the game on an RBI fielder's choice and after the Rams failed to score in the bottom of the seventh, the game went to extra innings. 

  • After a scoreless eighth and ninth, the international tiebreaker rule came into effect in the 10thinning with each team now starting with a runner on second base. The Lancers took advantage and took the lead on an RBI double by Cali Brouillar. 

  • The Rams retied the game, 7-7, in the bottom of the frame on an RBI single to center from Victoria Connelly. 

  • After a scoreless 11th, the Lancers scored three in the top of the 12thtaking a 10-7 lead. Emma Lanpher doubled in a pair and Lapoint added an RBI single. 

  • Talia Duca singled to lead off the inning and Haley Jensen followed with a two run double to left. Jensen came around to score the tying run on a wild pitch after being sacrificed over to third. 

  • The Rams kept the Lancers off the board in the top of the 13th turning a huge double play to end the inning with a runner on third. 

  • In the bottom of the inning, Shelby Roode sacrificed the runner to third and Marina Cadena reached on an error allowing McGuill to score the game winning run from third. 

  • Ally Moran earned the victory in the circle for the Rams going all 13 innings, allowing 10 runs, eight earned, on 18 hits with two strikeouts and two walks. 

  • Rooney finished the game 2-for-5 with a homer, two runs scored and three RBI, while Jensen finished the game 2-for-5 with a double, two runs scored and two RBI. 

UP NEXT: 

The Rams advance in the winner's bracket of the MASCAC Tournament and will face top seed Westfield State in Westfield tomorrow morning at 11 a.m., while the Lancers will face fourth seed Salem State in Westfield at 1:30 p.m. in an elimination game. 

Releases courtesy of Framingham State and Westfield State Sports Information