Softball Captures MASCAC Title, Advances to NCAA Tournament

FRAMINGHAM, Mass. – The Bridgewater State University softball team captured the program's tenth conference title as the second-seeded Bears posted a 10-5 victory over #1 Framingham State University in game three of the 2021 Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) Championship Series on Saturday afternoon at Framingham's Maple Street Field.

With the victory, the Bears (17-9-1) will advance to the NCAA Division III Tournament for the 23rd time in program history and first since 2014. The NCAA Division III Softball Tournament Selection Show will be webcast live at www.ncaa.com on Monday afternoon at 1:00 PM with regional play getting underway later in the week.

The MASCAC regular season champion Rams end the 2021 campaign with an overall record of 29-8. Framingham had defeated Bridgewater seven straight times this season before dropping the final two games of the championship series.

BSU righthander Kelley Reichert (Milford, Mass.) captured MASCAC Championship Series Most Valuable Player honors. Reichert went 2-1 in the circle during the best-of-three series with 16 strikeouts and a 2.14 earned run average over 19 2/3 innings of work. She also batted .300 (3-10) with a key two-run single in the deciding game.

Reichert (14-7) went the distance in game three as she scattered five hits, struck out one and did not allow an earned run. She also rapped a clutch two-out, two-run single and came around to score during a decisive five-run sixth inning.

The Bears opened the scoring with a pair of runs in the top of the third. Molly Thibaudeau (Lincoln, R.I.) started the rally with a base hit into centerfield, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt and to third on Megan Sharon's (East Longmeadow, Mass.) infield single. After Sharon stole second, Emma Healy (Plymouth, Mass.) lined a two-run single into center to give the hosts the 2-0 lead.

Framingham answered with three unearned runs in the bottom of the third as the Rams capitalized on three BSU errors and another defensive lapse. Kelsey McGuill (East Longmeadow, Mass.) notched the only hit of the inning with a double to leadoff the frame, while Camille Desrochers (Westford, Mass.) recorded the lone RBI when she reached on a fielder's choice ground out.

Janet Jolly's (Raynham, Mass.) first collegiate home run, a three-run blast over the left field fence, with two outs in the top of the fourth inning put the Bears back on top, 5-3.

A two-base throwing error to open the home half of the fourth led to another unearned as Grace Swanson (Lincoln, R.I.) rapped an RBI single to pull the Rams to within a run at 5-4.

Two more BSU fielding errors led to yet another unearned run in the bottom of the fifth as Shannon Ward's (Newport, R.I.) infield RBI single knotted the score at 5-5.

The Bears strung together three straight hits capped off by a Sharon RBI single to reclaim the lead in the top of the sixth. After Healy followed with a walk to load the bases, Reichert connected for a clutch two-run single and Madison Synan (Quincy, Mass.) added another two-run single to make it a 10-5 game.

Reichert retired seven of the last eight batters she faced including a perfect 1-2-3 seventh to secure the win.

Synan went 3-for-3 with a walk, run and two RBI to pace the Bears' 11-hit attack in game three. Sharon (2-4, SB, 2R, RBI), Thibaudeau (2-4, 2R) and Jolly (2-3, HR, 2R, 3RBI) also finished with multiple hits for the visitors.

Swanson was the lone Ram with multiple hits as she went 2-for-4 with an RBI.

Ally Moran (Wilmington, Mass.) and Ward combined to give up ten runs on 11 hits over seven innings with three walks and three strikeouts. Ward (13-5) was tagged with the loss in relief.