WESTFIELD, Mass. -- Senior center fielder
J.T. Mooney (North Attleboro) was 3 for 5 with a
double, homer and three RBI, and senior pitcher Martin
Anderson (Meriden, Conn.) threw a complete game to power
Bridgewater State to a 9-3 victory over Salem State in the
Massachusetts State College Athletics Conference tournament.
Bridgewater improved its record to 23-14 by winning the losers'
bracket game. The Bears will play either Worcester State or
Westfield State in Saturday's 4:00 p.m. game.
The loss was Salem's second in the double-elimination tournament
and the Vikings ended their season with a 25-15 record.
Bridgewater jumped out to a 5-0 lead after three innings. The Bears
had a three-run uprising in the third inning, highlighted by a
two-run homer by Mooney. The Bears tacked on three more runs
in the fifth to take a comfortable 8-0 lead. Mooney rapped an RBI
single in the inning.
In addition to his big day at the plate, Mooney also scored three
times. He doubled in the seventh then scored Bridgewater's ninth
and final run.
Anderson was cruising with a one-hitter when Salem freshman
shortstop Ryan Kane (Nahant) broke up his
shutout bid in the seventh with a solo homer to right field.
Anderson allowed six hits in the final three innings to finish with
a seven-hitter that included three walks and nine strikeouts.
Senior standout Steve Smith (East Taunton) was
Bridgewater's only other player with more than one hit; he was 3
for 5 with a double. Smith's double in the third inning was his
17th of the year as he tied the BSC single-season school mark
set by Joe Florio in 1992 and equaled by Chad Cambra in 2003.
Junior catcher Kelly LaDow (East Falmouth) had a
double and two RBI.
Salem senior Ken Luongo (Wilmington) pitched the first three innings and was saddled with the loss. Luongo led the Vikings at the plate, going 2 for 4 with an RBI.