#3 Mass Maritime Ends # 5 Salem State's Run

BRIDGEWATER, Mass. – Massachusetts Maritime Academy advanced to the championship round of the 2022 Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) Baseball Tournament as the third-seeded Buccaneers posted a 6-3 victory over #5 seed Salem State University on Saturday afternoon at Alumni Park. 

The Buccaneers (25-16) will take on top seed and tournament host Bridgewater State University this afternoon at three o'clock with the MASCAC Tournament title on the line. Maritime will need to beat the Bears twice to win the tournament. The if necessary game is slated for Sunday at noon. The Vikings end the season with an overall record of 23-19.

Freshman righthander Sam Huffman (Guilford, Conn.) tossed six solid innings to lead the Buccaneers to the 5-2 victory. Huffman gave up two runs on nine hits with no walks and four strikeouts while stranding seven runners on base over his six innings of work.

The Buccaneers opened the scoring in the bottom of the first third inning. Sophomore second baseman Tucker Leslie (Mashpee, Mass.) walked with one out, advanced to third on a base hit by senior right fielder Alex Schlapak (Dover, N.H.) and raced home on a wild pitch.

The Vikings threatened in the top of the fourth. Senior designated hitter Zach Piroh (Stratford, Conn.) doubled to lead off the frame and advanced to third on a ground out, but was thrown out at the plate on a conventional 2-3-1 double play.

Maritime tacked on a pair of unearned runs in the fourth to extend the lead to 3-0. Senior designated hitter Aidan Henderson (Hanover, Mass.) reached on a throwing error to lead off the frame and scored all the way from first on junior leftfielder John Tropea's (East Sandwich, Mass.) RBI double. After a base hit by centerfielder A.J. Luciano (Lynn, Mass.) put runners at the corners, Leslie beat out a potential inning ending double play to plate Tropea with the second run of the inning.

Salem got on the board with a run in the top of the fifth. With one out, junior third baseman Christian Burt (Lynn, Mass.) lined a base hit to left, advanced to second on a wild pitch and scored on an RBI single off the bat of senior shortstop Brahiam Ortega (Lawrence, Mass.). 

The Buccaneers got the run right back in the home half of the fifth. Aten reached on an infield single, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt and came around to score on Henderson's clutch two-out RBI single up the middle.

The Vikings cut the deficit to 4-2 in the sixth on back-to-back doubles by senior first baseman Traverse Briana (Peabody, Mass.) and Piroh. Salem also loaded the bases later in the frame, but Huffman got out of the jam with an inning ending ground out.

Maritime answered again as Luciano homered well over the left field fence in the bottom of the sixth to make it a 5-2 game. Henderson cracked a solo blast in the eighth to left to give the Bucs a 6-2 lead.

Salem rallied for a run against MMA freshman closer Brenden Baiardi (Harwinton, Conn.) in the ninth to cut the deficit to 6-3. Burt singled, advanced to second on a balk and scored on sophomore second baseman Jake Boucher's (Wallingford. Conn.) two-out RBI single. The Vikings had the tying run at the plate with two outs in the inning, but Baiardi ended the game with a called strike three.

Aten (2-3, R), Henderson (2-4, HR, 2R, 2RBI) and Luciano (2-4, HR, R, RBI) notched two hits apiece to highlight the Maritime offense. Tropea doubled and walked in four plate appearances with a run and an RBI.

Senior lefthander Brady Parks (Bridgeville, Dela.) pitched effectively in relief of Huffman as he tossed two scoreless and hitless innings

Briana went 3-for-5 with a double and a run scored to pace the Salem's 12-hit attack. Piroh was 2-for-5 at the plate with a pair of double and an RBI, while Boucher (2-5, RBI) and Burt (2-3, 2R) also finished with multiple hits for the Vikings who left ten runners on base.

Senior righthander Juan Hurtado (Homestead, Fla.) suffered the loss on the mound for Salem. Hurtado (2-3) gave up a run on two hits over 2 1/3 innings with two walks and a strikeout.

(Courtesy Bridgewater State Sports Information)