Softball to Face MIT in 2018 NCAA Division III Softball Tournament
Framingham, Mass. – The 2018 Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) tournament champion Framingham State University softball team will be making their third overall appearance in the NCAA Division III Softball Championship Tournament this week in the regional hosted by MIT in Cambridge, Mass.
The Rams, who have won back-to-back MASCAC Tournament Titles, will face host MIT on Friday, May 11th. Game details will follow.
Under the direction of the fourth year head coach Larry Miller, the Rams went 24-15 on the year including a 10-4 mark in the MASCAC. The Rams received the MASCAC's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament after rallying for a run in the bottom of the seventh to walk off with a 1-0 victory over third seed Westfield State in the MASCAC championship game.
The Rams were led in the circle this season by junior Kelsi Gunarathne (North Providence, RI) who earned MASCAC Tournament MVP honors after going 3-0 during the MASCAC Tournament. On the year, Gunarathne went 15-6 with 14 complete games and five shutouts. Gunarathne allowed just 30 earned runs in 130 innings for work for a 1.62 ERA.
The Rams were led offensively by senior outfielder Dayna Marchant (East Bridgewater, Mass.). Marchant hit .489 on the season with seven doubles, five triples and 25 RBI. Marchant who collected 66 hits as a senior reached the 200 career hit plateau. Freshman Grace Caughey (Mendon, Mass.) had an outstanding rookie season for the Rams as she batted .383 with eight doubles, a triple, three homeruns and 31 RBI.
MIT enters the champions of the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC). The Engineers finished the regular season 33-7-1 overall and 17-1 in the NEWMAC. The Engineers defeated Babson College in the NEWMAC Tournament Championship 3-2 in 8 innings on Sunday.
Rounding out the field at the Cambridge Regional are the Tufts University Jumbos, an at-large selection out of the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC), and the Beacons of UMass Boston winners of the Little East Conference. The double elimination regional begins on Friday and concludes on Sunday.