Softball Captures MASCAC Tournament Title

Box Score

WESTFIELD, Mass. -- Senior Alyssa Verronneau (Acushnet, MA) tossed a three-hitter and sophomore Penny King (Hanover, MA) was 2 for 3 with a two-run double to lead Bridgewater State College to a 3-0 victory over Westfield State in the championship game of the 2009 Massachusetts State College Athletics Conference (MASCAC) Softball Tournament on Sunday, May 3.

Bridgewater (28-9) earns a berth in the NCAA Division III national tournament for the second straight season, while Westfield finishes with a 23-14 record. The teams shared the MASCAC regular season crown with 10-2 records, but the Bears topped the Owls twice in the conference tournament, including a 6-4 victory on Saturday. The tournament championship is BSC's seventh in the nine-year history of the event.

Bridgewater scored all of its runs in the first inning when it collected four of its six hits off Westfield ace pitcher Chelsea Sylvia (South Dartmouth, MA).

Leadoff batter Tracey Sanko (Windsor, CT) barely beat out a slap hit and stole second. Lauren Cucinotta (Franklin, MA) singled to deep shortstop moving Sanko over to third. Allie LeBlanc (Somerset, MA) then ripped a one-out RBI single up the middle. King blasted a two-out double to the left-center field gap for the early 3-0 lead.

The only major scoring threat mounted by either team after the first came in Westfield's sixth inning, and Bridgewater got out of the jam with an unusual double play that included a controversial call at home plate.

Westfield senior standout Jackie Mason (Florida, MA) blooped a one-out single in the sixth and advanced to second on a throwing error by the catcher on a failed pickoff attempt. Senior Lindsay Jardin (Assonet, MA) reached safely on a bunt and Mason moved to third.

Kim Brennan (Douglas, MA) then hit a grounder deep in the hole to Bridgewater shortstop Rachael Sprague (Duxbury, MA). Instead of conceding the run, Sprague took a gamble and fired the ball to home plate. Mason was running on contact and appeared to have beaten Sprague's long throw to home. However, the umpire, after a long hesitation, ruled Mason out.

Bridgewater continued to execute as catcher Bridget Engwer (Wrentham, MA) fired the ball to third base, where Jardin was tagged out on another close play for the inning-ending double play.

Verronneau retired the side in order in the seventh to cap her fine pitching performance; she struck out six and did not issue a walk. Westfield designated hitter Alicia Gardner (Athol, MA) broke up Verronneau's no-hit bid with a single to left field to lead off the fifth.

Sylvia struck out four and walked one. King was the only play for either team with multiple hits.

Bridgewater, who will be making the program's 20th trip to the NCAA Tournament and tenth in the last 12 years, will await word on the NCAA Tournament pairings which are expected to be announced later on this evening. 

BSC advanced to the NCAAs for the first time in 1984 followed by a trip in 1986.  The Bears made seven straight appearances from 1988 to 1994.  In 1994, BSC lost in the national championship game to Trenton State by a score of 6-5.

Bridgewater was back in the tournament in 1996, and then made five consecutive trips from 1998 to 2002 and three straight from 2004 to 2006.