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Courtesy Worcester State/Westfield State Sports Information

WORCESTER, Mass. – Senior pitcher Madeline Tomich (Alford, MA/Everett) fired a two-hitter with 15 strikeouts and freshman Breanna Bisceglia (Worcester, MA/Burncoat) hit a two-run double to lead No. 4 seed Westfield State to a 3-1 upset victory over top-seeded Worcester State in the opening round of the MASCAC softball tournament on Thursday evening, May 3, at Rockwood Park.
 
Both teams will continue in the double-elimination tournament on Saturday.  The Owls (20-18) will play second-seeded Bridgewater State at 2 PM in the winner's bracket, while the Lancers (21-18) will take on No. 3 seed Salem State at noon in the loser's bracket with both games scheduled at Rockwood Park.
 
The Bears defeated the Vikings, 4-0, in the other opening round game.
 
Tomich was masterful on the mound. She fanned eight in the first three innings and struck out the side in the seventh inning. She only walked one.
 
“Maddie was amazing,” said Westfield head coach Lindsay Sawyer. “She was throwing hard and hitting her spots. She was dominant and just had great control. She shut down Worcester and we had timely hitting.”
 
With a scoreless tie in the top of the fourth inning, senior Kerin DeGirolamo (North Attleboro, MA) hit a single through the right side with one out to begin the Owls rally.  The next batter, sophomore Bri Eichstaedt (Southampton, MA), reached on ball that was dropped by the third baseman after the shortstop ran into her.
 
Freshman Vicki Hill (West Springfield, MA) then hit a single up the middle in the next at-bat, but Lancers sophomore Carolyn Hassett (Charlton, MA) gunned out DeGirolamo at home for the second out of the frame and her 10th outfield assist this season.
 
But Bisceglia stepped up to the plate and ripped a line drive down the left field line to score both Eichstaedt and Hill to give the Owls a 2-0 lead.
 
In the bottom of the fourth, the Lancers had a chance to respond. Hassett reached on an error to lead off the frame, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt, and third on single by senior Ashley Howe (Winchendon, MA) to break up a no-hit bid. But with runners on second and third and two outs, Tomich got a key strikeout to end the threat.
 
The Owls added an insurance run in the top of the sixth inning to move ahead 3-0 as Hill hit an RBI-three bagger to right center that scored DeGirolamo.
 
The Blue and Gold plated their only run of the contest in the bottom of the sixth.  Hassett led off the inning with a double off the left field fence and scored an unearned run after Lamoureux reached on a fielding error.
 
After the lone Worcester State run crossed the plate, Tomich retired the final six batters in a row to end the game – including five by way of strikeout.
 
Lancers junior Hannah Everson (Methuen, MA) also pitched a complete game as she scattered six hits and allowed three runs (one earned).  Everson had 11 punch-outs and she issued no walks.
 
DiGirolamo and Hill had the only multi-hit games as they both went 2-for-3 with one run scored.
 
The tournament game featured an impressive historic achievement as DiGirolamo's two base-knocks eclipsed Westfield State's all-time career hits record. She now stands at 158 hits for her outstanding four-year career. She passed Jackie Mason who had 157 safeties from 2006-09.

Following the game, Sawyer presented DeGirolamo with the game ball and also congratulated her family.
 
DiGirolamo also set program standard for hits in a season with 58 in 2010 in an NFCA All-New England third-team campaign while patrolling centerfield
 
The Owls held the 6-2 edge in the hitting department. Senior Ashley Howe (Winchendon, MA) broke up Tomich's no-hit bid in the fourth with a single up the middle.

Courtesy Bridgewater State Sports Information

BRIDGEWATER, Mass. -- Sophomore Amber White (Middleboro, Mass.) tossed a two-hit shutout and junior Brianna Strecker (Colchester, Conn.) belted a two-run homer to lead second-seeded Bridgewater State to a 4-0 victory over number three Salem State in the opening round of the 2012 Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) Softball Tournament on Thursday afternoon at Alumni Park.

Bridgewater advances to the winner’s bracket final on Saturday as the Bears will take on fourth-seeded Westfield State at two.  Salem will face number one seed Worcester State in an elimination game on Saturday at noon.  Worcester, which hosts the remainder of the double-elimination tournament, dropped a 3-1 decision to Westfield in the other first round matchup.

White (16-5) was outstanding throughout as she allowed just one base runner to reach second base and retired the final 12 batters of the game.  White did not walk anyone and fanned three.

Bridgewater broke a scoreless tie in the bottom of the fifth when freshman Jocelyn Bettencourt (Plymouth, Mass.) singled to lead off the frame and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt.  Sophomore Jasmyn McCone (Taunton, Mass.) then rifled a single into right field to plate Bettencourt with the first run of the game.  One out later, Strecker blasted a long home run over the centerfield fence to give the Bears a 3-0 lead.

BSU added a run in the sixth as junior Melissa Harmon (Shrewsbury, Mass.) doubled with one out.  Senior Stephanie Burns (North Attleboro, Mass.) then reached on a bunt single, and Harmon scampered home with the Bears' fourth run when the Viking's late throw to first got away.

Junior Alyssa Bryan (Stoneham, Mass.) suffered the loss in the circle for Salem.  Bryan (15-4) allowed four runs (three earned) on eight hits with a walk and seven strikeouts.

Senior Jordan McDermott (East Bridgewater, Mass.) led the Bears’ eight hit attack as she singled twice in three at bats.