Softball Loses Heartbreaker to Salem State - Rams Eliminated from MASCAC Tournament
Westfield, Mass. – Freshman Christina Cipriani (Peabody, Mass.) blooped a one-out, bases loaded single over the first baseman to drive in the winning run and give Salem State a 7-6 comeback victory over Framingham State in a loser’s bracket semifinal game of the MASCAC softball tournament on Saturday, May 8.
Framingham State, the No. 4 seed, finishes the season 17-22 with the loss. Salem, 31-8-1 and the No. 2 seed, advances to Sunday’s championship game and will play No. 1 seed Westfield State, which is still unbeaten in the double elimination tournament. The game at Westfield begins at 12:00 p.m. Salem would have to defeat Westfield twice to capture the MASCAC crown and an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
Framingham-Salem was a back-and-forth elimination game. The Vikings took a 3-0 first-inning lead with the big blow a two-run single by freshman shortstop Lauren Garchinsky (Peabody, Mass.).
Framingham rallied to take a 5-3 lead with four runs in the fourth and a run in the fifth. The Rams collected four hits in the fourth, with junior outfielder Kasey Phipps (Westford, Mass.) and freshman outfielder Kendra Fisher (Abington, Mass.) both rapping two-run singles. Fisher also picked up an RBI single in the fifth.
With two outs and a runner on first in the fifth inning, the Vikings rallied for three runs on three hits to take a 6-5 lead. Salem scored its runs an RBI single by Garschinsky, a wild pitch and a Framingham State throwing error.
Framingham knotted the score in the top of the seventh on an RBI single by junior Kelly Reardon (Groveland, Mass.). The Rams had runners on second and third with one out but the Vikings got out of the jam. Relief pitcher Sarra Bergeron (Methuen, Mass.) made an outstanding grab of a lined shot up the middle for the second out. Starting pitcher Katelynn Fanning (East Boston, Mass.) then reentered the game and recorded a strikeout to end the inning.
Salem’s seventh-inning rally started when Taylor Orlando (Danvers, Mass.) led off with a single to left field and Amanda Scola (Leominster, Mass.) dropped a beautiful bunt hit in front of home plate. Orlando advanced to third on the bunt and Jess Baird (Worcester, Mass.) was intentionally walked to load the bases. After Garchinsky struck out swinging, Cipriani delivered the game-winning hit on a 3-1 pitch.
Framingham out-hit Salem, 13-12. Garchinsky was 2 for 4 with three RBI. Collecting two hits for the Vikings were Sarah Brown (North Attleboro, Mass.), Orlando, Cipriani and Gabbie Vitalie (Danvers, Mass.), who had a double.
Fisher was 2 for 4 with three RBI for the Rams and junior DP Andrea DiTerlizzi (Shrewsbury, Mass.) was 3 for 4. Freshman Taylor Ezold (Westfield, Mass.) and Katie Donovan (Holden, Mass.) rapped two singles.
Fanning pitched four complete innings for the pitching victory; she allowed seven hits and four runs and struck out five. Sophomore Alysia Morrissette (Ware, Mass.) pitched her second complete game of the day to sustain the loss.