BASEBALL
SALEM — Salem State split a day-time doubleheader with conference opponent Mass Maritime Academy on Saturday afternoon at the Central Campus Baseball Field. The Vikings took game one 5-3 while the Buccaneers came back and clipped Salem State 1-0 in game two. The Vikings go to 11-14-1 on the season and 5-1 in the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference. Mass Maritime is now 13-10, and 5-1 in the MASCAC.
Game One
The Buccaneers hit Vikings’ starter Sean Buckland (Lynn, Mass.) immediately in the first inning, notching three hits including a two-run double by Cobie Gerbis (Holmes Beach, Fla.) to take a 2-0 lead. Salem State got one back in the bottom half of the inning as Mike Davis (Peabody, Mass.) crossed the plate due to an error in the Buccaneers infield as a Dan Connors (Danvers, Mass.) hit a shot to shortstop to cut the deficit to 2-1.
In the fourth, Salem State played small-ball that worked out as the first three batters of the inning reached base on a bunt. With the bases loaded, Dom Rosado (Tewksbury, MA) hit a blooper over the third basemen’s head that bounced in fair that scored Connors and Jose Cedano (Lawrence, Mass.) to give the Vikings a 3-2 advantage. Later in the inning, Alex Toomey (Beverly, Mass.) hit a hard grounder past the Mass Maritime infield that brought in Rosado and Teghan Malionek (Salem, Mass.) for a 5-2 lead.
Buckland worked well in the late innings with a three-run lead and help from his defense. However, in the final inning he ran into trouble as he gave up one run on a fielder’s choice hit by Everett Walsh (Marston’s Mills, MA) that scored Paul Sances (Middleboro, Mass.), who had singled earlier in the inning. Despite the late efforts of the Buccaneers, Buckland held command as he closed out the inning to pick up his fifth victory of the year, earning a 5-3 victory.
Buckland (5-0) pitched a complete game (7 IP) allowing three runs on 10 hits. Buccaneers’ starter Alex Rozak (Plymouth, Mass.) went the distance as well, but drew the loss (2-4) giving up four earned runs on eight hits.
Game Two
A pitching duel headlined game two, as the Vikings started Matt Abrain (Northbridge, Mass.) while the Buccaneers countered with Daniel Avery (Milford, Mass.) Abrain ran into some danger in the first inning, giving up a single, a walk, and an error that loaded the bases with one out, but he denied the Buccaneers of scoring as he struck out Walsh and forced Gerbis to ground out to second to escape the inning unharmed.
Avery was dealing for his Buccaneers as he pitched a complete-game shutout, only allowing two hits and three walks. Abrain worked efficiently as well in the middle innings including a three pitch third inning that kept his pitch count significantly low. Abrain tossed six scoreless innings, but ran into more trouble in the seventh inning when he gave up two hits to the first two batters of the inning. With a man on first and third, William Keane (Braintree, MA) drove a line drive up the middle which looked to be a sure hit, but was snatched by a diving Andrew Deloury (Peabody, MA) to preserve the 0-0 tie.
However, Kyle Kennedy (Woodbury, Conn.) drove in the game’s first run with a high fly ball as the wind took control of the flight and dropped it in behind the shortstop to give the Buccaneers a 1-0 lead late in the game. Despite the miscommunication in the Vikings’ infield, Malionek prevented Mass Maritime from scoring more as he picked up an attempted squeeze bunt from Sances and tagged out Greg Downs (Marshfield, MA), who tried to score and then threw out Sances at first to end the inning. However, Salem State couldn’t rally in the final inning as the Buccaneers went on to win 1-0.
Avery (3-1) earned the victory, striking out six while Abrain (0-2) drew the loss, allowing just a walk with two strikeouts.
The Vikings will travel to Westfield State on April 18th to take on Westfield State for a double header beginning at noon. The Buccaneers will take on conference opponent, the Trailblazers of MCLA for a doubleheader beginning at 1:00 p.m. also on Monday.
SOFTBALL
SALEM — The Vikings of Salem State swept the Buccaneers of Mass Maritime Academy in a double header on Saturday as they defeated the Bucs 16-4 in game one, and 18-2 in the second game. Salem State moves to 9-13 on the season and 4-2 in the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference. Mass Maritime drops 2-14 on the year and 0-6 in conference.
Game One
The Vikings exploded for 10 runs in the first inning on seven hits, including a grand slam from Dahlia DeCologero (Woburn, Mass.). Also in the inning, Ileish Burney (Bristol, Conn.) knocked in two runs with a single while captains Rebecca Krigman (Malden, Mass.) and Jessica Raymond (Peabody, Mass.) each drove in run. The Buccaneers answered with a run in the top of the second as Emily Bacchiocchi (Wareham, Mass.) scored Rachel Gardner (Bourne, Mass.) with a fielder’s choice to shortstop to reduce the deficit to 10-1.
In the second inning, Salem State added two more runs as Marissa Peri (Barnstable, MA) brought in Burney with a sacrifice fly to the outfield. In addition, Desiree Moreno (Ashburnham, Mass.) drove in Megan Black (Winchendon, Mass.) with a single to right that brought the Vikings’ lead to 12-1. Â
In the third, Brittany Driscoll (Spencer, MA) led off the inning getting hit by a pitch that eventually brought her to second with an error on pitcher Burney. Mass Maritime made the Vikings pay with that error as they tagged Burney for another run as Brooke Miles (Lynn, Mass.) doubled to cut the deficit to 12-2.
Salem State continued to answer the Buccaneers offensively as Peri singled with the bases loaded to bring in Krigman. Later in the inning, Mass Maritime reliever Carli Thomas (Brewster, Mass.) walked Raymond to bring in Burney to enhance to the lead to 14-2. In the fourth, the Vikings added two more runs as Krigman hit a two-run homerun to put the Vikings ahead 16-2. The Buccaneers scored two runs in the top of the fifth, but it wouldn’t be enough as Salem State won 16-4.
Burney (7-6) went the distance as she gave up three earned runs on five hits. Gardner (1-1) drew the loss as she only pitched two full innings, giving up 12 earned runs on 10 hits.
Game Two
Just as in game one the Vikings didn’t waste any time jumping on the Buccaneers’ pitching as they tagged Thomas for 11 runs in the first inning. During that stretch, Gabryanna Cardenas (Oxford, Mass.) brought in two runs with a single that was followed up by a Burney RBI-single that scored Krigman. Burney had three RBI’s in the first inning alone as she brought in two more runs late in the inning with another single. Also in the inning, Molly McLean (Arlington, Mass.) drove in two Vikings with a single of her own.
On the bump for Salem State was Black who kept Mass Maritime scoreless for the first four innings as she tallied three strikeouts. With Black dealing, the Vikings continued to add insurance runs as they scored two runs in the second inning and four runs in the fourth inning on only two hits. Thomas struggled on the mound for the Buccaneers as she walked 12 batters in four innings of work.
However, Mass Maritime scored two runs in the fourth inning as Gardner and Emily Goodwin (Halifax, Mass.) hit back-to-back doubles while Haley Delahanty (Holden, Mass.) also doubled in the inning to bring in Goodwin to decrease the Vikings’ lead to 17-2.
Salem State added one more run in the fourth inning to lift their lead to 18-2 on a Kasey Nolan(Braintree, MA) ground out to third that brought in Cardenas. Black surrendered one hit in the final inning but kept the Buccaneers scoreless in the fifth to secure an 18-2 victory.
Black (2-4) allowed two runs on seven hits while Gardner (2-14) tossed all four innings, giving up 18 runs on 12 hits.
McLean went 1-for-3 for the Vikings, driving in four runs. Raymond finished the doubleheader 6-for-6 with four RBI.
Salem State will continue their season on April 18th when they travel to Westfield State to take on the Owls for a conference double header beginning at noon. The Buccaneers will resume action on April 18th as well when they take on the the Trailblazers of MCLA for a double header beginning at 1:00 p.m.
