Framingham State and Salem State advance to the MASCAC Baseball quarterfinals after winning their first round games on Thursday.

No 4. Salem State 4, No. 5 Fitchburg State 3 11 innings      Box Score

SALEM, MASS. – Alex Toomey (Beverly, Mass.) singled in the game-winning run in the bottom of the 11th as #4 seed Salem State came back from a 3-0 eighth inning deficit to defeat #5 seed Fitchburg State in the opening round of the MASCAC Postseason Baseball Tournament. The Vikings (21-17) move on to face #1 Westfield State tomorrow at 3:00 PM. The Falcons end their campaign at 13-17-2.
  
Pat Fitzgerald (Auburn, Mass.) lofted a fly ball to left to start the bottom of the eleventh. An error caused by the leftfielder being run into put Fitzgerald on second. Mac Daniel Singleton (Everett, Mass.) was intentionally walked, bringing Toomey to the plate. Toomey then brought in Fitzgerald with the winning run with a single through the left side to finish off the 4-3 comeback win.

Brock Riley (Lowell, Mass.) earned the win with 4.1 innings in relief to raise his record to 7-2. Riley allowed no runs and walked just one while striking out four.

Adam Somers (Framingham, Mass.) took the loss, going 2.0 innings while giving up two runs (one earned) on three hits with three walks.

Fitchburgh State's Joshua Macomber (Berkley, Mass.) led off the second inning with a triple to right, and scored the first run of the game on an RBI groundout by Matthew Pingitore (Rutland, Mass.).

Brennan Cuddahy (Leominster, Mass.) hit the Falcons second triple leading off the fourth. However, Salem State starter Stephen Keskinidis (Stoneham, Mass.) prevented further damage, retiring the next three batters, including two strikeouts.

Brandon Lefebvre (Leominster, Mass.) singled to right to open the fifth for Fitchburg State. A wild pitch and fielder's choice put him on third before Noah Milliard (Leominster, Mass.) made the score 2-0 with an RBI single to left.

Meanwhile, Falcons starter Ryan Towle (Westfield, Mass.) kept the Vikings scoreless, scattering just three hits over the first five innings.

An allowed hit and walk chased Keskinidis with two out in the seventh. Riley came in to relieve. A double steal and throwing error allowed Andrew Currie (Quincy, Mass.) to score from second with the third Fitchburg State run.

Keskinidis went 6.2 innings, allowing three runs (two earned) on seven hits with four strikeouts, two walks and three wild pitches.

Towle allowed a lead-off walk and single in the bottom of the seventh, following back-to-back strikeouts, an error by the shortstop loaded the bases, but the freshman induced a soft liner to short to end the Salem State threat.

Shaun Gamelin (West Kingstown, R.I.) entered in the eighth for the Falcons. Towle pitched 7.0 shutout innings, allowing only five hits, two walks and three strikeouts.  

Consecutive walks opened the bottom of the eighth for the Vikings. Jose Cedano (Lawrence, Mass.) put Salem State on the board, scoring Alex Toomey (Beverly, Mass.) from second with a base hit to left. One out later, Madoc Fisher (Wayne, N.J.) hit a sacrifice fly, which scored Kyle O'Connor (Lynn, Mass,) from third, cutting the deficit to 3-2.

The Falcons looked to increase their lead in the top of the ninth, but White, threw out Timothy Horton (Northampton, Mass.) attempting to score from second on a base it to left, keeping the score at 3-2.

Somers entered in the ninth to close out the game for the Falcons.
 
The Vikings though rallied to tie the game. Matt Marquez (Salem, Mass.) worked a one-out walk. Singleton singled to left, putting runners on second and third. Toomey then knocked in pinch-runner Fitzgerald with a single to left, knotting the game at 3-apiece. An intentional walk loaded the bases, but Somers worked out of further trouble, inducing two groundball outs to force extra-innings.  

No. 3 Framingham State 8, No 6. MCLA 3     Box Score

Framingham, Mass.. – The Framingham State baseball team scored five times in the sixth inning and senior Mike Andrews (Stoneham, Mass.) threw a complete game as the third seeded Rams defeated the sixth seed MCLA in the first round of the 2018 MASCAC Baseball Tournament Thursday evening at a rainy Bowditch Field.

With the with win the Rams improve to 18-16 and advance to play second seed Mass. Maritime on Friday, May 4^th at 3:00pm. MCLA sees their season close at 13-15-1

The Trailblazers got on the board in the second inning when Logan Rumbolt (North Adams, Mass.) was hit by a pitch, sacrificed to second and Joe DiMassimo (Albany, NY) singled him in. Later in the inning DiMassimo came around to score on a single by Joe Toledo (Brooklyn, NY). MCLA scored their third run of the inning on a Rams error. 

The Rams cut their deficit to one run in the 4^th, Kyle Pileski (Bristol, Conn.) struck out but reached on a passed ball, moved to third on a double by Jordan Pallazola (Rockport, Mass.) and they were both clubbed in on a two-run double by Kyle Dembrowski (Natick, Mass.).

The Rams took the lead for good in the fifth when Pileski tied the game with a lead off homer. Two batters later Dembrowski doubled and an Anthony Venuti (Bratintree, Mass.) RBI single gave the Rams the lead and knocked out MCLA starter Liam Nolan (Pittsfield, Mass.). FSU scored three more in the inning capped by a bases-loaded two run single off the bat of Cameron Borrelli (Peabody, Mass.).

The Rams scored their final run on an MCLA error in the 7^th to push the lead to 8-3. The Trailblazer looked to be rallying in the 8^th having their first to runners reach but then lined into a 6-6-3 triple play to end the threat.

Andrews earned the win for the Rams going nine innings allowing three runs, two earned with three strikeouts. Nolan takes the loss going 5.1 allowing five runs, four earned despite striking out 12.

Releases courtesy of Salem State and Framingham State Sports Information