BRIDGEWATER, Mass. – Bridgewater State University advanced to the winner's bracket final of the 2014 Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) Softball Tournament as the top-seeded Bears blanked #5 Framingham State University, 6-0, on Friday afternoon at Alumni Park.

Bridgewater will host #3 seed Worcester State University on Saturday afternoon at 1:30 in the winner's bracket final.  Worcester posted a 3-1 victory in nine innings over second-seeded MCLA this afternoon out in North Adams.  Framingham and MCLA will square off tomorrow  morning at 11:00 AM in an elimination game.  The remainder of the tournament will take place at Alumni Park.

Senior right-hander Amber White (Middleboro, Mass.) hurled a four-hit shutout to lead the Bears (27-12) to the win. White (20-3) recorded ten strikeouts including the 400th of her BSU career and the 500th of her collegiate career.  She also set the Bears' single-season record with her 14th shutout.

The Bears pushed across five runs in the bottom of the first as each of the first five batters of the frame reached safely and eventually scored. Back-to-back bunt singles by Jill Welch (Hubbardston, Mass.) and Jocelyn Bettencourt (Plymouth, Mass.) followed by a wild pitch put runners on second and third with nobody out.  An infield hit by Tara McCann (Fall River, Mass.) plated Welch and Jessica Laudati (Berkley, Mass.) followed with a single to load the bases.  Jennifer Galavotti (Marion, Mass.) then rifled a triple to deep centerfield to clear the bases and give BSU the 4-0 lead.  One batter later, Galavotti would come around to score the fifth run of the inning on a ground out.

Bridgewater made it a 6-0 game on McCann's RBI double in the fourth.  Courtney Leddy (Saugus, Mass.) led off the frame with a base hit, moved to second on a passed ball and scored on the double by McCann.

Welch paced the BSU offense as she went 3-for-4 at the plate.  McCann (2-for-4) and Galavotti (2-for-3) also finished with two hits apiece as did Samantha LoPilato (Medford, Mass.) who singled twice in three at bats.

Alexandra Ferri (Winthrop, Mass.) gave up five runs in the loss for the Rams.  Ferri (8-4) was unable to escape the first inning as all five batters she faced scored.  Andrea Smith (Milford, Mass.) pitched well in relief as she allowed just one unearned run on seven hits over six inning.  Smith, who fanned four, also went 2-for-3 at the plate.