FRAMINGHAM, Mass. – Bridgewater State University split a pair of games on Saturday at the 2023 Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) Softball Tournament held at Framingham's Maple Street Field. The second-seeded Bears dropped an 8-0 decision in five innings to top-seeded Framingham State University but rallied for a 7-6 extra inning win over #4 Westfield State University to keep the season alive.

The Bears (15-27-1) will take on Framingham State tomorrow at noon in the championship round. The Bears would need to beat the Rams twice to win the tournament.

#1 Framingham State 8, #2 Bridgewater State 0 (5 Inn.)

Top-seeded Framingham State advanced to the championship round with an 8-0 mercy rule victory in five innings.

Ally Moran tossed five shutout innings to pick up her 20th win of the season. Moran (20-5) scattered three hits, did not issue a walk, and fanned three.

A two-run triple by Kelsey McGuill followed by an RBI single by Brooke Grassia staked the Rams to a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning.

McGuill homered over the right field fence in the bottom of the fourth to extend the Framingham lead to 4-0.

The Rams ended the game in walk-off fashion with a four-run fifth inning. A throwing error allowed the first run of the frame to score. Angelina Lynch put the finishing touches on the Framingham victory with a bases clearing three-run double.

McGuill went 3-for-3 with a home run, a triple, three runs and three RBI to pace the Rams' ten hit attack. Smyth (2-3, R) and Keely Scotia (2-3, R) also recorded multiple hits for the hosts.

Olivia Silva singled twice in two at bats, while Kerrin McLaughlin went 1-for-2 with a stolen base to lead the way for Bridgewater State.

McKayla Cusack was saddled with the loss in the circle for the Bears. Cusack (4-8) gave up four runs on five hits over three innings with a pair of walks.

#2 Bridgewater State 7, #4 Westfield State 6 (8 Inn.)

The Bears rallied for a 7-6 win in eight innings to eliminate Westfield State and advance to the championship round.

Bridgewater jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning. Emily Marcotte connected for a two-run triple and scored on an RBI single by McLaughlin.

The Owls answered with a pair of unearned runs in the top of the third as Alyssa Clark smacked an RBI double and came around to score on an RBI single by Janna Jose.

Westfield then sent nine batters to the plate in a four-run fourth inning to pull ahead, 6-3. Jordyn Lummus and Sarah Hough connected for back-to-back RBI singles, while Sarah Bingham added a two-run single.

Bridgewater got one back in the home half of the fourth to cut the deficit to 6-4. Molly Thibaudeau reached on an infield single, advanced to second on a throwing error and race home on an Alicia Habib RBI single.

The score remained that way until the bottom of the seventh. With one out, Madison Dana doubled and was replaced on the base paths by Emily Eastman. Olivia Silva then lined a single off the pitcher's leg to put runners at the corners. Back-to-back walks to Tatiana Burcy and Thibaudeau forced in a run to cut the deficit to 6-5. Following a pitching change, Habib lofted a sacrifice fly to right to plate Silva with the tying run and send the game into extra innings.

The Owls went down 1-2-3 in the top of the eighth. In the bottom of the frame, Marcotte was hit by pitch, McLaughlin reached on a bunt single, and Janet Jolly lined a base hit to left to load the bases with nobody out. After a strikeout, Silva lined a sacrifice fly to centerfield to bring home Marcotte with the game-winning run.

Burcy (2-4) tossed 4 1/3 shutout innings of relief to earn the win in the circle for Bridgewater State. She allowed just one hit, did not issue a walk, and struck out five. Burcy retired 13 of the 14 batters she faced.

McLaughlin went 3-for-5 with an RBI to pace the Bears' 13-hit attack. Marcotte (2-4, 3B, 2R, 2RBI), Silva (2-4, SF, R, RBI) and Thibaudeau (2-3, BB, 2R, RBI) also recorded multiple hits for Bridgewater State.

Gianna Conte suffered the loss in relief for Westfield State. Conte (5-9) gave up one run on two hits over 1 1/3 innings with one strikeout. She also hit a batter.

Lummus (2-5, R, RBI), Hough (2-4, R, RBI), Bingham (2-4, 2B, R, 2RBI) and Jose (2-2, RBI) all finished with two hits apiece to lead the Owl offense.