Box Score | Tournament Bracket

BRIDGEWATER, Mass. --- Junior Alyssa Verronneau (Acushnet, MA) hurled a two-hit shutout to help pace top seeded Bridgewater State College, 4-0, over second-seeded Westfield State in the Winners Bracket of the 2008 MASCAC Softball Tournament at Alumni Park.

The Bears improve their record to 25-15 while the Owls slip to 22-12. Westfield State will play an elimination game tonight against Salem State at 4:30 P.M. The winner will take-on BSC in the Championship game tomorrow at noon.

In a pitchers duel through the first five frames, Bridgewater State pushed across four runs in the bottom of the fifth. With one out, the Bears loaded the bases on three strait base-hits. Sophomore rightfielder Meghan Noyes (Stoughton, MA) would walk in a run and then junior centerfielder Allie LeBlanc (Somerset, MA) belted a bases-clearing double to cap off the scoring for BSC.

Verronneau improved her record to 15-5 in the circle for the Bears. Verronneau allowed two walks while she finished with 10 strikeouts. After allowing the lead-off walk to start the game off, Verronneau settled down and retired 18 of the next 20 batters she faced, before Westfield State threatened to break the shutout in the top of the seventh.

Junior Chelsea Sylvia (South Dartmouth, MA) went the distance and absorbed the loss for the Owls. Sylvia (14-6) allowed four runs on ten hits while giving up six walks. Sylvia also struck out six batters.

Freshman leftfielder Tracey Sanko (Windsor, CT) went 2-for-4 with a run while senior second baseman Nicole Hebert (Taunton, MA) finished 2-for-3. LeBlanc went 1-for-3 with three RBIs.

Junior centerfielder Jackie Mason (Florida, MA) and freshman shortstop Alicia Gardner (Athol, MA) notched the lone hits for Westfield State.

Release written by Steven M. Miller, Jr --- Sports Information Correspondent