Salem State, Bridgewater State Split MASCAC Tilt

SALEM, Mass. – Brock Riley's (Lowell, Mass.) three-hit shutout propelled Salem State to a 9-0 win over Bridgewater State in the first game of their scheduled MASCAC doubleheader on Saturday at The Central Campus Baseball Field. Matt McDonald's (Randolph, Mass.) RBI triple in the eighth inning spurred the Bears to an 8-7 win in extra-innings in game two after Salem State had rallied from a two-run seventh inning deficit. The Vikings are now 8-6 on the season and 2-1 in the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference while the Bears go to 4-8 on the year and 1-2 in the MASCAC.

Riley threw a complete game in picking up his third win of the year. The senior allowed just two walks and struck out six over seven innings.    

Traverse Briana's (Lynn, Mass.) sacrifice fly gave the Vikings a 1-0 lead in the first. In the fourth inning, Brendan Greene's (Winchester, Mass.) single to center field put Salem State on top 2-0.

Fitzgerald doubled to left field to open the bottom of the sixth inning. The Vikings went ahead 3-0 when Briana followed with an RBI-double. Mike Griffin (Hudson, NH) drove in another run to extend the lead to 4-0. With the bases loaded, Matt Marquez (Salem, Mass.) blasted a three-run triple as the Vikings went up 7-0. Zac Duval (Middleton, Mass.) and Briana each hit RBI-singles as Salem state scored seven runs in the inning.

The Bears, Matt Josselyn (Hanson, Mass.) took the loss pitching 5.1 innings, allowing six earned runs, with five K's and a pair of walks.

Briana finished 3-for-4 with two RBI.

In the first inning of game two, a Pat Fitzgerald (Auburn, Mass.) single and Briana walk set up the first run on a base hit by Kyle O'Connor (Lynn, Mass.). 

The Bears answered after loading the bases in the top of the second inning. Walks to Patrick Cashin (Franklin, Mass.) and Liam Bell (Wells, Maine) put Bridgewater State ahead 2-1.

In the bottom of the second, Shawn Rebello's (Bellingham, Mass.) fielder's choice with the bases full scored one run before Briana's single to left field drove in two runs as the Vikings reclaimed a 4-2 lead. 

In the top of the fifth, Liam Bell (Wells, Maine.) led-off with a double to left field. Kevin Bresciani (Hopedale, Mass.) drove in Bell to close the gap to 4-3. Dominic Precopio (Framingham, Mass.) and Lewis Robinson both hit RBI-singles to put Bridgewater State back on top at 5-4. Alexander Pappas was then hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to extend the Bears' lead to 6-4.

In the top of the sixth, Lewis Robinson's (New Britain, CT) two-out single increased the Bridgewater State lead to 7-4.  

In the bottom of the sixth inning, Marquez answered with a solo home run to cut the deficit at 7-5. 

Salem State then rallied for two runs in the bottom of the seventh to force extra-innings. A walk to Fitzgerald and single by Briana set up Brendan Greene (Winchester, Mass.), who hit a two-out double to score both runners, tying the game at 7-7.

However, McDonald delivered the game-winning hit with a triple to right-centerfield.

David Kerns (Cambridge, Mass.) earned the save, pitching a scoreless eighth, after allowing a hit and walk. Shawn Smeglin (Wakefiled, Mass.) picked up the win with three innings of work with three runs allowed and a strikeout. Brian Smith (Croton-on-Hudson, NY) pitched 2.1 innings, allowing a run on two hits in the loss for the Vikings.

Starters Luke Brennan (Worcester, Mass.) and Greg Cavaioli (Leominster, Mass.) each lasted four innings with Brennan being charged with three runs on four hits and Cavaioli four runs on five hits. The teams combined to use seven pitchers.