Softball Advances to MASCAC Tournament Championship Round

WORCESTER, Mass. -- The second-seeded Bridgewater State University softball team cruised to a 9-0 victory over #4 Salem State University in the winner's bracket final of the 2016 Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) Tournament on Saturday afternoon at Rockwood Park. The game was stopped in the fifth inning due to the eight-run mercy rule.

The Bears (25-13), who have won ten straight games and 13 of their last 14, advance to the tournament championship round on Sunday. Six of Bridgewater's last seven wins have come via the mercy rule.

The Vikings fall to 13-22 on the season and will take on host and top seed Worcester State University in an elimination game this evening at 6:30 PM.

Junior right-hander Kelly McCarthy (Burlington, Mass.) continued her stellar pitching as she tossed a four-hit shutout. McCarthy (21-5) did not walk a batter and fanned three to record her seventh shutout of the season.

The Bears banged out 12 hits in the contest led by two hits apiece from McCarthy, junior second baseman Courtney Leddy (Saugus, Mass.) and junior third baseman Tara McCann (Fall River, Mass.).

Leddy went 2-for-3 with a stolen base, three runs scored and three RBI. She scored the first run of the game in the bottom of the first as she singled to open the frame, moved to third on Samantha LoPilato's (Medford, Mass.) sacrifice bunt and trotted home on a throwing error.

The Bears put the game out of reach with a four-run second inning with LoPilato's two-run double being the big hit in the inning.

LoPilato finished 1-for-2 at the plate with the two-run double and her team-leading 12th sacrifice bunt.

A four-run, fourth inning, highlighted by Leddy's two-run single, put the finishing touches on the win. McCann and freshman designated player Jenny Heller (Taunton, Mass.) also added RBI singles in the frame.

Two Salem State pitchers were tagged for nine runs on 12 hits in just four innings of work. The Vikings committed three errors in the game which led to three of the runs being unearned.

Sophomore first baseman Jen Crovo (Melrose, Mass.) went 2-for-3 with a pair of singles and a stolen base to pace the Salem offense.

Notes: The Bears will take on Worcester State in the championship round on Sunday. The Lancers defeated Salem State in the loser's bracket final, 9-1, in five innings....McCarthy extended her hitting streak to 11 games with a lead-off single in the third inning....Kacie Carvalho (Fairhaven, Mass.) extended her hitting streak to 12 games with a lead-off infield single in the second inning....McCarthy has won each of her last 12 starts.