Top-Seeded Worcester State and Second-Seeded Salem State Advance to MASCAC Baseball Title Game
The top-seeded Worcester State Lancers and the second-seeded Salem State Vikings are set to meet in the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference Baseball Championship Game Monday at Noon after advancing through the semifinal round on Sunday.
Game 1- Westfield State/Framingham State Box Score
Game 2- Worcester State/Salem State Box Score
Game 3- Salem State/ Westfield State Box Score
Courtesy of Worcester State Sports Information
Westfield State 8, Framingham State 5
WORCESTER, Mass. -- The top-seeded Worcester State Lancers and the second-seeded Salem State Vikings are set to meet in the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference Baseball Championship Game Monday at Noon after advancing through the semifinal round on Sunday.
In the first elimination game, Westfield State sophomore Pete Liimatainen (W. Barnstable, MA) earned the victory in relief and classmate DJ Bishop (Dartmouth, MA) blasted his first collegiate homer as the fourth-seeded Owls defeated #3 Framingham State in the first elimination game of the MASCAC Tournament Semifinals this morning at Rockwood Park.
Westfield State (17-18-1) will play in the second elimination game of the semifinals later this afternoon. The Rams (20-18) await word on a possible ECAC Division III New England Tournament berth which will be announced on Monday
The Owls took over the early 3-0 advantage over the first three innings of play. Bishop belted a solo homer to right in the top of the second before junior Pat McWilliams (Duxbury, MA) connected on a two-run single with two outs in the third stanza.
Westfield State pushed their margin to 4-0 when an unearned run crossed the plate in the top of the fourth. Sophomore Danny DiMatteo (Dennis, MA) scampered home after the third baseman couldn’t field a ground ball for the final out of the inning.
Framingham State though responded with five scores over the next three frames of play to take over a 5-4 edge.
After junior Mark Mainini (Hull, MA) knocked out his fourth dinger of the campaign for a solo shot in the fourth, senior Matt Roberge (Lowell, MA) and classmate Billy Derosier (Shrewsbury, MA) notched fielder’s choice RBIs in the fifth.
Senior Anthony Iafolla (Medfield, MA) then hammered his fourth homer of the season for a two-run blast to finish off the scoring outburst for the Rams in the bottom of the sixth.
The Owls, however, took advantage of a key infield miscue in the top of the seventh and took the 7-5 lead for good. Adams started the rally by driving in sophomore Dan McCormack (Shelton, CT) with a run producing double for the first score.
Following a walk by sophomore EG McMillan (Hopkinton, MA), junior Tim Santilli (Southbridge, MA) put a bunt in play. The pitcher instinctively tried to get the lead runner at third, but his throw was too high of the base and two runs dashed home on the error.
Westfield State added some insurance to help seal up the victory with a single up the middle by Adams to plate junior Jeremy Tanguay (Huntington, MA) for the 8-5 score.
Liimatainen, who was inserted into the contest immediately after the homer by Iffolla, held the Rams scoreless over his final three 2/3 innings of work. He scattered four base-knocks and fanned four to improve his record to 3-2 on the campaign.
Senior Mike Sullivan (W. Barnstable, MA) originally went the first 5 1/3 stanzas giving up five runs (four earned) on five hits to go with five strikeouts and two walks.
Junior Zack Kirby (Rochester, MA) was dealt the setback over 8 2/3 innings. Kirby (1-6) allowed six runs (three earned) on 10 hits as he rung up seven on strikes and issued three free passes.
McCormack, Adams and Bishop all tallied two base-knocks each for the Owls as McWilliams and Adams drove in a pair of runs. Tanguay and McCormack also scored two runs apiece.
Roberge and Iafolla registered two hits for Framingham State as Iafolla touched home twice and he had two RBIs.
Westfield State finished with the overall 10-9 edge in hits.
In the second game of the afternoon, junior David Ruggiero (Peabody, MA) went 3-for-4 with a homerun, three runs batted in and a trio of runs scored to help lead Worcester State past Salem State, 9-5, in a MASCAC tournament semi-final match-up this afternoon at the Lyons Baseball Diamond.
The Blue and Gold opened the scoring early grabbing a three run advantage after the first frame.
Ruggiero doubled home sophomore Steve Wallace (Auburn, MA) before crossing home himself on a squeeze bunt from junior Jeff Bolio (Oxford, MA) two batters later. Bolio then stole third and was able to trot home after an errant throw by the catcher for the 3-0 lead.
Salem State responded in a big way in the top half of the second when sophomore Mike Davis (Peabody, MA) blasted a two-run homer to right center for the 3-2 score.
The Vikings then took the lead in the top of the third inning scoring a pair of runs on a run producing single from junior Ryan Beliveau (Lynn, MA) and an RBI fielder’s choice from Davis for the 4-3 edge.
Ruggiero again sparked a rally for the Lancers as he lead off the bottom half of the third with a solo shot down the right field line to tie the contest at 4-4.
Then after back-to-back singles from freshman Adam Barry (Auburn, MA) and Bolio put two runners on base freshman Jake Ryan (Whitinsville, MA) knocked them both in with a two-run single to right center for the 6-4 cushion.
Salem State got one of those runs back off an errant throw in the top of the fourth making it a one-run game but that was as close as they would get.
Junior Kris Doyle (Millbury, MA) found his stride and only allowed two hits over his next three innings of work and classmate Joe Perlak (Chicopee, MA) was perfect over the final two frames to shut the door.
Worcester State secured some insurance in the bottom of the sixth as they plated a trio of runs again for the 9-5 score. Ruggiero highlighted the stanza with an RBI double and Barry chipped in with a run producing base-knock.
Doyle (6-3) surrendered five runs (four earned) on eight hits with five walks and six punchouts while Perlak fanned a pair in his two innings.
Salem State sophomore Sean Buckland (Lynn, MA) absorbed his first loss of the year and fell to 5-1 after tossing the first five and 1/3 innings allowing eight runs (seven earned) on nine hits with three walks and four strikeouts.
Senior Mike Lamothe (Beverly, MA) smashed his first home run of the campaign for a solo shot to help give Salem State the early 1-0 advantage in the bottom of the second.
The Owls responded in the very next frame with a crooked number to take over the 3-1 edge.
Junior Jeremy Tanguay (Huntington, MA) doubled to lead off the inning before sophomore Evan Moorhouse (Westfield, MA) tied up the game with a single up the middle.
Sophomore Tyler Adams (W. Barnstable, MA) then plated Moorhouse with a two-bagger of his own and he advanced to third on the throw from the outfield. Classmate E.G. McMillan (Hopkinton, MA) jacked a sacrifice fly, which scored Adams, to help notch some insurance for Westfield State.
But freshman Tim Woods (Wilmington, MA) put the Vikings on his back by silencing the Owls bats over the next six innings. From the top of the fourth on he set down 12 of the next 15 batters he saw until the eighth.
In the top of the eighth, with two men down against a tiring Woods, Adams doubled and he moved to third on an infield single to put runners at the corners. The right-hander, however, retired the last batter on a ground out to end the threat.
The effort on the hill in preserving the two-run deficit set the stage for a rally in the bottom of the eighth that saw the Vikings knot up the score 3-3.
Senior Ethan Trowt (Beverly, MA) drove in sophomore Mike Davis (Peabody, MA), who led off the frame with a single and he moved into scoring position on a wild pitch. Davis then came around to score on a solo knock up the middle by senior Brett Cahill (Gloucester, MA).
Salem State ended the game in the bottom of the ninth as Toomy started off the rally with an infield safety and Trowt got him to third on another single. Beliveau cranked the second pitch of the at-bat that he saw into left field for the walk-off victory.
Woods (3-0) went the distance and fanned seven while allowing three earned runs and scattering eight hits. He threw 106 pitches to help preserve the bullpen for tomorrow’s must-win championship matchup.
Senior Kevin Zyrkowski (Hingham, MA), who was inserted into the game in the eighth in an attempt to get out of a jam, was dealt the setback in relief for giving up the game-winning score as his record drops to 4-5.
Junior Tommy Nowlan (Williamstown, MA) had a no-decision for the Owls as he tossed seven strong innings allowing three earned runs to go with eight base knocks and two strikeouts.
Beliveua led the charge for the Vikings with a 3-for-5 performance at the plate while Trowt and Cahill both notched two base-knocks each. Adams was the lone multi-hitter with two doubles for Westfield State.
Salem State outhit their counterparts 13-8 as four of Westfield State’s hits went for extra bases.