Framingham State and Westfield State will meet on Sunday in the MASCAC Softball Championship game after advancing their way through the semifinal contests on Saturday.

Game 1: No. 3 Westfield State 2, No. 4 Bridgewater State 1     Box Score

WORCESTER, Mass. -- Kayla Soucie's (North Easton, Mass.) walk-off sacrifice fly in the bottom of the seventh inning lifted third-seeded Westfield State University to a 2-1 victory over #4 Bridgewater State University in an elimination game at the 2018 Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) Softball Tournament on Saturday at Rockwood Park.

The Owls (16-19) advance to the loser's bracket final of the double elimination tournament later this afternoon at 4:00 PM. The Bears end the season with an overall record of 18-19.

With the score knotted at 1-1 with one out in the bottom of the seventh, former Bear Angelica Banning (East Granby, Conn.) singled up the middle and advanced to third when Michaela LeBlanc followed with a base hit through the right side. Soucie, who was called on to pinch hit, then drove a fly ball to right and Banning tagged up and raced home with the game-winning run.

Westfield had taken an early 1-0 lead on an RBI single by Maddy Atkocaitis (Westfield, Mass.) in the bottom of the first inning.

Bridgewater tied it in the top of the fourth on Jenny Heller's (Taunton, Mass. RBI single. Courtney Gouveia (Taunton, Mass.) followed with a base hit to load the bases with one out, but WSU starter Emily Arrendondo (Woburn, Mass.) worked out of the jam without any further damage.

Arredondo worked the first four innings, but did not figure in the decision. She allowed just the one run on five hits with two strikeouts. Emily Woodworth (Marlborough, Mass.) picked up the win in relief for the Owls. Woodworth (7-10) scattered three hits over three scoreless innings.

Natalie Sorrenti (Bridgewater, Mass.) pitched well in the setback for the Bears. Sorrenti (9-4) went the distance in the circle allowing two runs on six hits with no walks and a pair of strikeouts in 6 2/3 innings of work.

Heller, Meghan Navarro (Taunton, Mass.) and Shannon Grindle (Halifax, Mass.) finished with two hits apiece to pace the Bears' eight-hit attack. Heller singled twice in three at bats and drove in BSU's only run, while Grindle went 2-for-3. Navarro finished 2-for-4 at the plate with a double and a run.

Bridgewater stranded seven runners on base.

Banning went 2-for-3 and scored the winning run to highlight the Westfield offense.

Game 2: No. 2 Framingham State 5, No. 1 Worcester State 0    Box Score

The second seeded Rams shutout the top seeded Lancers by a score of 5-0 to advance to the MASCAC finals, as they scored their five runs on seven hits and one Lancer error.

Framingham State's junior pitcher Kelsi Gunarathne (Providence, R.I.) earned her second victory of the tournament going seven shutout innings and allowing just seven hits with five strikeouts and no walks.

The Rams grabbed the lead for good in the top of the second inning on a solo homer to center field by freshman Grace Caughey (Mendon, Mass.).

The Rams added two more in the top of the third extending the lead to 3-0.  Senior Megan Downing(Hanson, Mass.) plated a run with a single up the middle and Caughey plated her second run of the game on a single to left.

The Rams capped the scoring with two in the top of the seventh on a two-run double by junior Kayla Finnacchiaro (Natick, Mass.).

• The Rams received three hits in the contest from Caughey, while Downing added a pair. 
• Caughey and Finacchiaro the Rams with two RBI apiece.
• Camille Desrochers (Westford, Mass.) swiped a base from the Blue and Gold.
• The Lancers received two hits from Dakota Smith-Porter (Montague, Mass.).
• Each team left eight runners on base.
• Worcester State's starting pitcher, Smith-Porter, suffered the loss in the circle as she pitched 2 2/3 innings and allowed three runs on three hits. She walked two batters and struck out three.
• Lancer relief pitcher Carly Zielinski (Monson, Mass.) pitched four and a quarter and allowed two runs on four hits. She also walked two.

Game 3: No.3 Westfield State 3, No. 1 Worcester State 2        Box Score

The Owls of Westfield State overcame a two-run deficit in the final game of the day and scored three runs on five hits in the top of the fifth for a 3-2 edge over the Lancers. Worcester State was eliminated from the tournament with the setback.

Sydney Despres (Sterling, Mass.) gave the Lancers the lead in the bottom of the first inning on an RBI groundout to shortstop.

The Lancers added to their lead in the bottom of the fourth inning when Smith-Porter reached home on an Owl fielding error.

The fifth inning proved to be in the Owls favor as they plated three runs on five hits. Back-to-back singles from Maddie Keigwin (Sutton, Mass.) and Bri Tortora(Worcester, Mass.) and a sacrifice hit from Lindsay Cordopatri (Walpole, Mass.) put the runners in scoring position. Next up, Maddy Atkocaitis (Westfield, Mass.) singled to left center to plate two runs. Another run came home on an RBI single from Angelica Banning (East Granby, Conn.) for the 3-2 advantage.

Worcester State had a chance to match the run in the bottom of the fifth when they loaded the bases, but a foul out and shortstop kept Westfield State atop for good, 3-2.

• Westfield State's Banning batted 2-for-3 with an RBI.
• Atkocaitis recorded a game-high two RBI.
• Ennis was the batting leader for Worcester State, going 2-for-4 with one run scored.
• Cordopatri and Kristen Huston (Spencer, Mass.) each recorded a stolen base for their team.
• Westfield State's Emily Arredondo (Woburn, Mass.) earned the win in four innings pitched. Relief pitcher, Emily Woodworth (Marlborough, Mass.), earned the save in three innings pitched.
• Worcester State's Rachel Frisch (Worcester, Mass.) was tabbed the loss in the complete-game. She allowed three runs on eight hits. She walked two batters and struck out four.

Releases courtesy of Bridgewater State and Worcester State Sports Information