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Courtesy Westfield State Sports Information

WESTFIELD, Mass. – Tournament MVP Joshua Ferreira pitched a complete game and was 3 for 6 with two doubles and three RBI, and Ian Williams was 3 for 6 with a grand slam home run, double and eight RBI to power Bridgewater State University to a 20-6 victory over Westfield State University in the MASCAC championship game on Sunday, May 8.

Bridgewater, 23-15, will be making its 13^th appearance in the NCAA Tournament and its first since 2004. Also, the Bears have won four MASCAC tournament titles and their first since 2004.

Westfield, the MASCAC regular season champion, finishes with a 22-22 record. The Owls battled through the loser’s bracket and forced a deciding game with a 6-2 victory over Bridgewater earlier Sunday. But 39 innings played in two days was too much for the Owls.

Westfield actually led Bridgewater in the winner-take-all game, 4-0, after three innings. But the Bears erupted for eight runs on seven hits in the fourth frame to take control. Williams had one of his eight RBI in the inning on a runscoring single. Ferreira delivered the game-winning hit, a two-run double down the rightfield line to make it 6-4.

The Bears scored five more runs in the sixth to take a 13-4 lead, with the big blow Wiliams’ grand slam homer to left field. Bridgewater also scored five runs in the seventh when Williams pounded a two-run double. His eighth RBI came on an infield groundout in the eighth.

The Bears blasted 21 hits off seven Owl pitchers. Tyler Dennis was 4 for 5 with a double and three RBI and Keane Costa was 3 for 6 with a double and two RBI.

Ferreira allowed 10 hits and two walks and struck out 10 in going the distance.

Westfield leadoff batter Kevin Greene was 2 for 5 with a triple and two runs scored. Jeff Ackerman was 2 for 4 with two RBI and hot-hitting Josh Blair was 2 for 5 with two runs scored.

Westfield State 6, Bridgewater State 2

WESTFIELD, Mass. – Josh Blair was 3 for 5 with two doubles and two RBI to lead Westfield State to a 6-2 victory over Bridgewater State in the championship round of the MASCAC baseball tournament on Sunday, May 8.

Both teams now have one defeat in the double elimination tournament and will play a winner-take-all game on Sunday, May 8, with the opening pitch scheduled for 3:45 p.m.

The Owls, who dropped a 12-inning game to Bridgewater on Saturday and defeated Worcester State Sunday morning to complete a halted game, scored five runs in the third inning to take an early 5-0 advantage.

Blair smacked a two-run double and hot-hitting Andrew Medeiros (3 for 4, triple) rapped a runscoring single in the third inning uprising.  Westfield tacked on its final run in the sixth on an RBI double by Pete Hogan.

Bridgewater had plenty of scoring opportunities with eight hits and eight walks yielded by five Westfield pitchers but the Bears stranded 13 baserunners. Also, the Owls turned three double plays.

Connor Buckley, who pitched two and a third innings of effective middle relief, was credited with the victory but the Owls got a big boost from Roman Mondalto, who hurled the first four innings vs. Bridgewater after throwing the final two innings in the halted game vs. Worcester earlier in day.

Nick Noblit recorded three outs in the ninth inning to earn a save as he entered the game with runners and first and second and the tying run on deck.

Bear starting pitcher Jeff Puopolo sustained the setback. He threw into the sixth inning, walking three and allowing nine hits and three walks.

Hogan and Dale Crispin both had a double and single in Westfield’s 11-hit attack. Corey Batista led the Bears with a double and single.