Baseball Edged by Salem State, 2-1

SALEM, Mass. – The Salem State University baseball team edged visiting Bridgewater State University, 2-1, on Thursday afternoon in a Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) matchup at Salem's Central Campus Field.

The Vikings improve to 12-10 on the season and 4-3 in the MASCAC, while the Bears fall to 15-8 overall and 6-1 in conference play.

Freshman righthander Mason Consigli (Northbridge, Mass.) gave up just one run over six innings to record his second win of the season. Consigli (2-1) scattered six hits, walked one and fanned six. Sophomores Kyle Banche (Torrington, Conn.), Greg Gentle (Arlington, Mass.) and Jake Boucher (Wallingford, Conn.) each tossed a scoreless inning of relief for the Vikings with Boucher picking up his second save of the 2022 campaign.

Junior righthander Matthew Seavey (North Attleboro, Mass.) pitched well in the setback for Bridgewater State. Seavey worked the first seven innings allowing two runs on six hits with a pair of walks and four strikeouts. Freshman righty Cameron Breault (Buzzards Bay, Mass.) came on in the eighth inning and retired all three batters he faced with one strikeout.

Senior first baseman Zach Piroh (Stratford, Conn.) belted a two-run homer over the right field fence in the bottom of the first inning to stake the Vikings to the early 2-0 lead. That would be all the scoring Salem would need.

The Bears got one back in the top of the third. Back-to-back singles by sophomore centerfielder Shane Foley (East Bridgewater, Mass.) and sophomore catcher Mathew Pigeon (Canton, Mass.) followed by a Kevin Lindsay (So., SS, East Bridgewater, Mass.) sacrifice bunt put runners on second and third with one out. Freshman second baseman Scott Emerson (Peabody, Mass.) plated Foley with a sacrifice fly to make it a 2-1 game.

Bridgewater had a great opportunity to knot the score in the top of the fourth as junior first baseman Dan Saraceno (Mansfield, Mass.) led off the inning with a triple down the right field line. Saraceno, however, was cut down at home on a fielder's choice grounder to short.

Lindsay doubled with one out in the fifth but was thrown out at the third by the pitcher on a stolen base attempt. In the ninth, junior third baseman Joey Molis (Cumberland, R.I.) led off the frame with a base hit and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt but was thrown out trying to steal third on a wild pitch.

Molis (2-4) and Foley (2-4, R) both finished with multiple hits for the Bears. Molis also extended his hitting streak to ten games. Senior designated hitter Tim Catalano (Brewster, N.Y.) went 2-for-3 with the Vikings.

The Bears and the Vikings each stranded six runners on base.

The two teams will face-off again tomorrow afternoon at Bridgewater State's Alumni Park with game one of the MASCAC doubleheader getting underway at one o'clock.