Mass Maritime Takes Pair From Salem State

BUZZARDS BAY, Mass. – Salem State's offense was stymied by the pitching of Mass Maritime as the Vikings plated just two runs in a doubleheader loss to the Buccaneers on Saturday. Mass Maritime won by scores of 4-1 and 9-1 to improve to 5-15 overall and 2-5 in the MASCAC. Salem State falls to 10-9 overall, 4-3 in conference play.  

Game One 

How It Happened 

The Buccaneers jumped out to a 3-0 advantage in the first inning, scoring their first run on a Jackson Simone (Seattle, Wash) single, scoring Paul Sances (Middleboro, Mass). Sophomore shortstop Dylan Sullo followed that up with a single to score Simone. The third run came on a double steal in which Matt Langan (North Easton, Mass) stole home. 

With Mason Ashburn (East Freetown, Mass) on the mound, the Buccaneers allowed no runs until the sixth inning when the Vikings finally broke through on a triple from Kyle O'Connor (Lynn, Mass) scoring Traverse Briana (Lynn, Mass). Up two runs, Chris McHugh (Rockland, Mass) doubled for the Bucs in the bottom of the sixth, driving home Sullo, to retake a three-run lead, 4-1, which would be the eventual final score. 

Mason Ashburn (East Freetown, Mass) earned the win in a complete game effort, allowing just five hits and one earned run with a pair of walks and eight strikeouts. Salem State's Brock Riley (Lowell, Mass) suffered the loss, tossing six innings while giving up nine hits and four runs with five strikeouts and two walks.

Sullo went a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate in game one while driving in a run and scoring once. McHugh also had a multi-hit game with a single and a double. McHugh's double was the only extra base hit by the Bucs. Salem batted 5-for-23 in game one. Matt Marquez (Salem, Mass) was the only Viking with two hits in the game. O'Connor had the lone extra base hit for Salem, the RBI triple. 

Game Two 

How It Happened 

Maritime scored first again in game two on a Simone single to score Sances. Salem tied the game on a Mike Griffin (Hudson, N.H.) home run over the scoreboard in left field. It was the last time Salem would score. In the bottom of the second, Maritime retook the lead for good. Simone walked with the bases loaded, scoring Aten. On the next batter, Sances scored for a second time on a wild pitch to take a 3-1 lead after two. Maritime added single runs in the third and fourth on an AJ Luciano (Lynn, Mass) single in the third and a Michael Doyle (Boston, Mass) sacrifice fly in the fourth, scoring Marley Dembitzki (North Dartmouth, Mass). 

Up 5-1, Maritime starter pitcher John Teehan (Boston, Mass) systematically shut down the Salem offense allowing his offense to get their work in, scoring four more times in the sixth. Ben Paine (Dartmouth, Mass) tripled scoring Joe Sanchez (Dracut, Mass). Aten doubled scoring Paine and Sances singled to drive in Aten. Teehan finished off the game in the seventh to earn the 9-1 MASCAC victory. 

Teehan gave up just three hits and a run while racking up 12 strikeouts. The Vikings' Luke Brennan (Worcester, Mass) was tagged with the loss, going 2.1 innings and allowing three hits and four runs with six walks and two strikeouts. 

Simone and Paine both drove in two runs, Sances and Aten scored twice. Aten and Paine had the two extra base hits for the Bucs, a double and triple respectively.  

The Bucs walked eight times in the game, struck out four, and left 11 runners on base. Griffin had two of the three hits, including the home run. Along with Griffin's home run, O'Connor hit the only other extra base hit for the Vikes.