Softball to Face Rowan in NCAA Tournament - Updated 5/11
Framingham, Mass. – The 2017 Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) regular season and tournament champion Framingham State University softball team will be making their second overall appearance in the NCAA Division III Softball Championship Tournament this week in the regional hosted by Babson College.
The Rams will face Rowan University from the New Jersey Athletic Conference at Babson College on Friday. The Rams will play Rowan at Babson at 1 p.m. on Friday, May 12th. The winner will advance and face the winner of the Babson/Lesley game on Saturday, May 13th at 11 a.m., while the loser will face the loser of the Babson/Lesley game on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. in an elimination game. Please click here to visit the tournament website -
http://www.babsonathletics.com/sports/w-softbl/2016-17/releases/NCAA_softball
Under the direction of the third year head coach Larry Miller, the Rams won a school record 30 games overall (30-11) and went 12-2 in the league en route to their first MASCAC regular season title and second MASCAC Tournament title. The Rams received the MASCAC's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament after rallying for two runs in the bottom of the seventh to walk off with a 5-4 victory over second seed Westfield State in the MASCAC championship game. The Rams last NCAA appearance and MASCAC Tournament Championship was back in 2007.
The Rams were led in the circle this season by sophomore Kelsi Gunarathne (North Providence, RI) who earned MASCAC Tournament MVP honors after going 3-0 during the MASCAC Tournament. On the year, Gunarathne went 16-6 with 19 complete games and seven shutouts. Gunarathne allowed just 33 earned runs in 153 innings for work for a 1.51 ERA.
The Rams were led offensively by the duo of junior outfielder Dayna Marchant (East Bridgewater, Mass.) and freshman outfielder Mycala Moody (North Attleboro, Mass.). Marchant collected a school record 58 hits with two doubles, five triples and nine RBI while hitting .426. Moody batted .380 in her rookie season and collected 38 hits with two doubles, two triples and 12 RBI with 10 stolen bases.
Rowan received an at-large bid to the NCAA Softball Championship after being eliminated from the NJAC Tournament on Saturday by Ramapo. The Profs finished the regular season 31-9 overall and 12-6 in the NJAC. Rowan saw six players named to the NJAC All-Conference first team including designated player Morgan Smith, outfielder Gianna Genello, catcher Nicole Paiotti, and pitcher Lauren Shannon.
Rounding out the field at the Babson Park Regional are the host Beavers, winners of the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference, and Lesley University, winners of New England Collegiate Conference. The double elimination regional begins on Friday and concludes on Sunday.