Vikings Dominate, Smith Sets Steals Record

Jose Rodriguez '24, Staff Writer | Media & Communications

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass.- Antonio Belgrove (Stamford, Conn.) went 3-for-5 with six RBI and Mark Smith's (East Haven, Conn.) first inning steal gave him a Salem State record 26 in a single season as the Vikings defeated MCLA, 15-2 in a Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) contest on Friday afternoon at Bobby Coombs Field. The Vikings boost their record to 19-13, 12-7 while the Trailblazers sink to 5-29, 2-17. 

How It Happened

•  Smith singled to leadoff, and two batters later, he stole second, to secure the season-mark and scored on Owen Duggan's (Billerica, Mass.) RBI base hit towards right field in the first inning.  The Vikings tallied two more, which included Jake Boucher's (Wallingford, Conn.) RBI double towards left-center field. Salem State held a 3-0 lead.
• The Trailblazers narrowed the Vikings' lead in the fourth. Clayton Dutfield's (Delmar, N.Y.) reached first base and advanced to second on a throwing error and ultimately to third base on a passed ball. Isiah Tucker (Albany, N.Y.) connected for a base hit to left field, which drove Dutfield home with the first MCLA run.
• James Dolan (Rockland, Mass.) hit a double towards left-center field, setting the tone for the Vikings in the sixth. Two batters later, with runners on the corners, Antonio Belgrove (Stamford, Conn.) came up to bat and hit a two-RBI double, driving home both runners and bringing the score to 5-1 in favor of the Vikings. Salem State continued to dominate by adding two more runs as part of a four-run sixth inning.
• Salem State had the bases loaded and two outs when Aidan Lynch (North Andover, Mass.) delivered a two RBI hit to extend Salem State's lead to 9 to 1 in the seventh.
• The Vikings had a promising start, with two runners already on base and no outs in the eighth. Duggan connected for a two-run double and later, Belgrove seized the opportunity and hit a three-run triple that cleared the bases, extending the lead even further to 15-1. 
• The Trailblazers added one more in the eighth, making the final 15-2.

NOTEWORTHY

• Both starting pitchers recorded a no-decision. Nick Bamforth recorded his third win of the season pitching 3.1 innings, giving up two hits while Jaden Palumbo recorded the loss, pitching 1.7 innings giving up seven hits and seven runs.
• The first five Vikings hitters managed to get a hit in the first.
• Jellison got himself in and out of trouble in the third inning leaving two Trailblazers in scoring position.
• Salem State combined for 12 runs between the sixth through eighth innings. The Vikings scored six time alone in the eighth.
• The Vikings had a strong performance from their trio of Belgrove, Smith, and Boucher who combined for a total of nine hits. Each of them contributed equally with three hits each. Additionally, the duo of Duggan and Lynch also made a significant impact with two hits apiece, combining for a total of four hits.
• For the Trailblazers, Matthew Castillo (Ozone Park, NY) had a three-hit game while Rob Correia (Waterbury, Ct.) had a two-hit game.
• The Vikings will return to The Central Campus Baseball Field for senior day when both teams continue their three-game set in a MASCAC doubleheader. Game one is at noon and game two at 3:00 p.m.