WESTFIELD, Mass. -- Jeff Ackerman (Beverly, MA) was 3 for 4 with two RBI, including a towering walk off double in the bottom of the ninth inning, to lead Westfield State to a 3-2 victory over Bridgewater State in an elimination game of the MASCAC Baseball Tournament on Sunday evening, May 9.
The victory vaulted Westfield State into the MASCASC championship game against Worcester State; the game is scheduled for Westfield State on Monday, May 10, at 12:00.
Worcester State remains undefeated in the double elimination tournament after outlasting Westfield, 15-14, earlier Sunday. If Westfield defeats Worcester a winner-take-all game between the conference rivals will be played immediately following at approximately 3:30. The MASCAC champ receives an automatic berth in the NCAA Tournament.
Westfield enters the championship game with a 30-8 record, its first 30-win season since 1979. Worcester State is 30-9-1.
No. 4 seed Bridgewater, 18-20, took a 1-0 first-inning lead on an RBI groundout by Matt Greenberg (Norwell, MA). The Owls tied the score in the second inning with an unearned run. Pete Grillo (Shrewsbury, MA) reached second on a two-base throwing error by the shortstop and Ackerman ripped an RBI single to center field.
Bridgewater took a 2-1 sixth-inning lead on an RBI single by Mark Claffey (Bellingham, MA). Westfield tied the score in the seventh inning. Pete Hogan (Weymouth, MA) singled and moved to third on another single to center field by Ackerman. Pinch hitter Andrew Medeiros (Acushnet, MA) drove Hogan home with a sacrifice fly.
The Bears threatened to score in the top of the ninth but left runners stranded at first and third.
In Westfield's last at bat, Jeff Fields (Pittsfield MA) led off with a sharp single to left field and was sacrificed to second by Hogan.
Ackerman then blasted his towering double to the right-center field gap. Bridgewater center fielder John Garabedian (Mansfield, MA) nearly made a sensational over-the-shoulder catch near the warning track but the ball glanced off his glove, allowing Fields to score the game-winning run.
Both teams' pitchers went the distance and threw well. Owl junior Aaron Messier (New Bedford, MA) scattered eight hits in raising his record to 6-1. He walked four and struck out nine. Bear junior Brian Guillotte, also from New Bedford, allowed seven hits and no walks; he struck out two.
Ackerman was the only Owl with more than one hit. Freshman Tyler Dennis (Stoughton, MA) continued his hot hitting, going 3 for 5, while Claffey was 3 for 3 with an RBI.