Vikings and Scots Split on the Evening

SALEM, Mass. – Salem State softball hosted cross town foe, Gordon College, for a non-confernce matchup this afternoon. The Vikings blanked the Fighting Scots , 4-0, in the opening game before dropping the second game 9-3 to split with the Scots on the evening.

Game 1

• In the bottom of the third inning, the Vikings were able to capitalize on a Fighting Scot error to land Rebecca Walker (Lynn, Mass.) on first before Payton Jeffers (Holly Ridge, N.C.) doubled to bring Walker around and notch the first run of the game.
• The Vikings' bats came alive an inning later when Sydney Rodriguez (Brighton, Colo.) started things off for the home team with a single followed by aggressive base running to find herself on third before scoring off a sacrifice fly to give Salem the two-run cushion(2-0).
• Later in the inning, Isabella Perrotti (Winthrop, Mass.) laid down a bunt to advance Emily Henning (Grafton, Mass.) before errors on the Scot's behalf brought her home (3-0).  Before closing out the inning, a Walker single would send Perrotti home to head into the fifth with the 4-0 tilt.
• The Vikings' defense would hold Gordon to only two hits over the final three innings to blank the Fighting Scots and secure the 4-0 victory.

Game 2

•  The Fighting Scots were able to strike first in Game 2 after Emily Peterson (Goffstown, N.H.) singled up the middle to record an RBI before her squad held the Vikings hitless in the bottom of the inning to enter the third with the 1-0 edge.
• The top of the third was highlighted by the Rivera sisters, as Isabela Rivera (Concord, N.H) notched a single before her sister, Ami, doubled to land them both in scoring position. Both Riveras would eventually cross home plate to double the Fighting Scots lead (4-0). The Vikings tried to chip away in the bottom half of the inning when Stephanie Grassi's (Cambridge, Mass.) speed landed herself on third, but she would be left on base to end the inning.
• Both teams remained relatively quiet over the next two inning, with the Vikings and Scots only landing three and one hit, respectively, to enter the sixth inning with the Scots holding the 3-0 lead.
• Salem was able to bring the game to a stalemate after Mackenzie DeSantis (Ridge, N.Y) stepped up to the plate, with two runners on base, and launched one over the left field fence to bring the game to three apiece going into the final inning of play.
• The Fighting Scots were able to use various fielding errors to explode for six runs in the top of the seventh and hold Salem runless in the bottom half of the inning to take the 9-3 victory over the Vikings.