Owls Eliminated by Salem in First Round of MASCAC Tournament

WESTFIELD, Mass. – Salem State first-year Dawn Eisnor (Medford, Mass.) tallied a game-high three hits along with two RBI to power sixth seeded Salem State to a 9-5 Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference tournament victory over third seeded Westfield State on Tuesday afternoon from Westfield, Mass.

The Vikings advance into the MASCAC semifinals where they will face second seeded Worcester State on Thursday. With the loss, Westfield is eliminated from postseason play, concluding their 2022 season. The Owls finished the season with an 18-19 overall record.

Salem State wasted no time getting on the scoreboard, as junior Rebecca Walker (Lynn, Mass.) connected on a run-scoring double to right field to bring home Sydney Chiasson (Hudson, Mass.) for the Vikings first run of the game. Eisnor tacked on a second run in the frame with an RBI single to left, putting Salem ahead 2-0.

In the second inning, the Owls put pressure on Vikings starter Emily Carter (Warwick, R.I.) by putting runners on second and third with one out. The sophomore starter then forced consecutive ground outs to end the scoring threat to keep a two-run lead.

Eisnor registered her second RBI of the game in the third inning on a screaming line drive back up the middle for a base hit to knock home Walker to stretch the lead to 3-0. Westfield broke through in the bottom half of the inning as the Owls loaded the bases with nobody out on a Christina Ciampa (Vernon Rockville, Conn.) single, a hit by pitch by Lindsay Cordopatri (Walpole, Mass.) and a walk from Jordyn Lummus (Pittsfield, Mass.). Senior Colleen Hughes (Hanson, Mass.) followed by lacing a two-run double over the head of Chaisson to trim the deficit to one run. A costly throwing error by the Vikings gave the Owls a temporary lead as Lummus and Hughes came home to score, giving the Owls a 4-3 advantage. The Vikings defense responded with a putout at home plate on a Stephanie Scoville (Northfield, Mass.) fly ball as right fielder Emily Henning (Grafton, Mass.) threw out a tagging Meghan Doyle (Marshfield, Mass.) at the plate, holding the Owls to a one run lead.

Salem responded in a decisive way in the ensuing half inning, with Payton Jeffers (Holly Ridge, N.C.) tying the game with a double to right-center field. Henning tallied the go-ahead run on a ground out to short to give Salem a 5-4 lead. Another run came around to score on a wild pitch, then Isabella Perrotti (Winthrop, Mass.) capped the four-run frame on an RBI double down the right field line. The Owls got a run back in the bottom of the inning on a two-out double by Lummus to score Cordopatri as the Owls trailed by two, 7-5. Hughes then made a loud third out, launching a fly ball to the left field warning track where Perrotti hauled in the catch to preserve the two-run Viking advantage.

Jeffers and Gracie Hogan (Blackstone, Mass.) each collected RBI doubles, with one in the fifth and the other in the sixth to extend the lead to four runs.

Carter would quiet the Owls' bats in the remaining three innings, as the Owls registered just two hits over the final nine outs. Carter (W, 6-15) tossed all seven innings for the Vikings, allowing five runs (three earned) on seven hits. Scoville (L, 9-7) surrendered seven runs (six earned) on 12 hits with seven punch-outs.

Five different Vikings' hitters produced multi-hit games with the top four hitters in the lineup generating nine of the 13 Salem hits. Hughes went 2-4 with a double and two RBI, with Scoville adding two hits for the Owls.