By Jim Fenton
SALEM, Mass. -- The Bridgewater State University baseball team is one win away from a third straight Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference tournament championship.
The second-seeded Bears are the only unbeaten team remaining in the double-elimination tournament after defeating top-seeded Salem State University, 5-3, on Friday afternoon.
Sophomore Trey Yesu (Monson, Mass.) continued his strong pitching, giving up three runs (two earned) and five hits in eight innings to improve to 6-2. Nick Reiser (Nahant, Mass.) closed the win, allowing just a hit in the ninth inning to record his second save.
BSU (25-14) will play in the title round Saturday at 3 p.m. against the winner of an 11 a.m. elimination game between Salem State and fourth-seeded Westfield State University.
If the Bears lose that game, an if-necessary game would take place on Sunday at 1 p.m. in Salem.
BSU is attempting to become the first program to win three consecutive MASCAC titles since the tourney began in 2001.
The conference champion receives an automatic bid in the NCAA Division 3 tournament, which begins May 17.
The Bears have won 16 of their last 20 games and are riding a four-game winning streak. They opened the tourney Thursday at home with a 16-7 win over Worcester State University, which was eliminated by Westfield State, 8-6, on Friday.
BSU, which averaged 9.5 runs per game in the regular season, was held scoreless by Salem State through six innings and trailed the Vikings, 1-0.
But the Bears scored twice in the seventh, added two more in the eighth and then scored an insurance run in the ninth for the victory.
BSU outhit Salem State, 12-6, with the two three hitters in the lineup combining for six of the hits.
Kevin Lindsay (East Bridgewater, Mass.) went 2-for-4 with a walk, run and an RBI. Scott Emerson (Peabody, Mass.) was 2-for-5 with a double and an RBI, while Ryan Flaherty (Duxbury, Mass.) went 2-for-5.
Salem State took a 1-0 lead in the fifth inning when Brady Boucher (Taunton, Mass.) walked and went to second on a sacrifice bunt by Aidan Lynch (North Andover, Mass.) before scoring on a single up the middle by Edward Field (Gloucester, Mass.).
The Bears broke through in the top of the seventh to take the lead.
Mathew Pigeon (Canton, Mass.) led with a single to center. With two outs, Joe Frechette (Plymouth, Mass.) singled to left-center and Emerson and Lindsay followed with RBI singles.
The Bears made it 4-1 in the eighth with Steven Simon (Hanover, Mass.) leading off with a single to right-center and Jay Wladkowski (Norwood, Mass.) drawing a walk.
Pigeon sacrificed them, but Simon was out at the plate on a fielder's choice grounder by DJ Prampin (Worcester, Mass.). After a stole base by Prampin put two runners in scoring position with two outs, Joshua Selander (Granby, Conn.) delivered a clutch two-run single to center.
Salem State cut the margin to 4-3 in the eighth inning.
Connor Dolan (Rockland, Mass.) reached on a dropped fly ball and scored on a triple to left-center by Mark Smith (East Haven, Conn.). A groundout by Yabdriel Gonzalez (New Haven, Conn.) brought in Smith.
BSU plated the game's final run in the ninth when Lindsay walked, Flaherty singled up the middle and Wladkowski singled up the middle with two outs.
Reiser gave up a one-out single to Boucher before getting the next two batters on fly balls to end the game.
Yesu struck out eight and walked just one with one of the runs he allowed being unearned.
In his previous three starts, Yesu had allowed one unearned run and 11 hits and had not given up an earned run since April 14.
Cam Fisher (Burlington, Conn.), the first of four Salem State pitchers, allowed two runs and eight hits with three strikeouts in 6 2-3 innings. Fisher (6-1) lost for the first time this season after posting wins in his first six decisions.
BSU has won eight straight MASCAC tournament games, going 3-0 the past two seasons on the way to the titles.