Vikings Sweep Season Finale

Jose Rodriguez '24 | Staff Writer 

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. --  Salem State defeated MCLA 9-2 and 3-1 to finish their 2023 season with a MASCAC doubleheader sweep over the Trailblazers. The Vikings finish the season 11-26 and 8-13 in conference while MCLA ends their season 10-28 and 3-18 in conference.

Jack Sefrino (Dartmouth, Mass) had a good day on the mound as he pitched a complete game, going 7.0 innings, allowing three hits, no earned runs with eight strikeouts. "That was good pitching by Sefrino, he really got better after getting hurt in the beginning of the season and after coming back, he has been really good," said outfielder Owen Duggan (Billerica, Mass.).

Brahiam Ortega (Lawrence, Mass.) in his last game as a Viking connected for a two-run home run to left field as the Vikings scored three runs in the first inning. That's all Salem State would need as Sefrino did the rest, holding MCLA to just a run over the next six innings. In the bottom of the third inning Sefrino struck out two of the three batters that he faced that inning as the Trailblazers went down one, two, three. In the bottom of the fourth Noel Medina (Bronx, N.Y.) provided the only Trailbazers run with a groundout to Ortega as MCLA got on the board with their first run of the game.

In the bottom of the seventh, Sefrino got into trouble as MCLA put two runners on with the winning run coming to the plate, but the junior worked out of the jam to secure the win.   

In game one Duggan went 2-for-3 with a double and five RBI as Salem State banged out 11 hits. "I wouldn't have driven in those runs if they haven't got on for me, it was the right time," said Duggan. The Trailblazers went with Bryan Rosario (Elmhurst, N.Y.) on the mound as he picked up the loss to finish the season 4-7 while the Vikings  Brock Pare (Lowell, Mass.) earned the win to end the year 2-4. 

Both teams went scoreless until the third inning. With one out in the inning, Rosario gave up back-to-back walks to TJ Beninati (Suffren, N.Y.) and Jake Boucher (Wallingford, Conn.). Ortega drew a walk to load the bases before Duggan cleared the bases with a double.  "That was a huge hit, it set the tone early," said head coach Andrew Gummow. "I think that changed the game mentally, we were locked in and I think it really helped us big time emotionally,"

In the bottom of the fourth the Trailblazers got their first hit of the game, an extra base hit off the bat of Clarence Givhans (Brooklyn, N.Y), who doubled to left center field. That was followed by a bloop single to right field by Eyjah Garneau (Pawtucket, R.I). Medina drove in the first MCLA run with a base hit up the middle.

In the top of the fifth inning, Ortega got on with an extra-base hit as he connected for a two-out double. Duggan followed with a base hit to knock home the forth run of the game for the Vikings.

In the top of the sixth inning, Salem State scored four runs to take a commanding 8-1 lead. It all started when the first two Vikings' hitters reached on errors as Salem State had second and third with one out. Benninati knocked home two runs for the Vikings as they increased their lead to 6 to 1. Boucher then doubled down the left field line to put runners on second and third with one out. Rosario's day was over as the two runners on base were his responsibility. Rosario's line read  5.1 IP, 9 hits, 8 runs, 4 earned, 3 walks 2 K. James Sneyd came in to replace Rosario and EJ Field (Gloucester, Mass.) greeted him with an RBI single. An Ortega walk loaded the bases for Duggan, who brought home the eighth Salem State run with a sacrifice fly.

In the top of the seventh inning, Dolan hit a bomb to left field that extended the Vikings' lead to eight as the score grew to 9-1. Sneyd's day was over as he pitched 1.1 IP, giving up 2 hits, 1 earned run and one walk as Ryan McDonald came in to get the last out.  

In the bottom of the seventh inning Kyle Banche (Torrington, Conn.) came into the game to replace Pare. Pare in his last start of the season went 6 full innings, giving up 6 hits, 1 earned run with no walks. Banche got the first out of the seventh inning, but Rachiele homered and was followed by back-to-back doubles by Givhans and Adams. However, the Trailblazers did not score as Givhans was out at home after a nice relay throw from the cutoff man Ortega. Medina then grounded out to Ortega to end the game.