Box Score
WESTFIELD - Junior Chelsea Sylvia (South Dartmouth) fired a four-hit shutout and struck out 12 to power Westfield to a 5-0 victory over Salem State in the first round of the Massachusetts State College Athletics Conference (MASCAC) tournament Thursday, May 1.
Westfield, 22-11, advances to the winners’ bracket of the four-team, double-elimination tournament where it squares off against rival Bridgewater State, which opened tournament play with a 4-2 victory over Framingham.
The remaining games of the tournament will be hosted by Bridgewater State. In Saturday’s 11:00 a.m. game, Salem State plays Framingham State. Westfield plays Bridgewater State at 1:30.
Sylvia came with her “A game” as she struck out the side in the first inning and had nine strikeouts thru four innings. She did not issue a walk.
Westfield scored its first run in the third inning when sophomore catcher Gia Calabrese (West Springfield) ripped a two-out double and scored on single by Jackie Mason (Florida, Mass./Drury HS).
Westfield made it 2-0 in the fourth when Allison Allen (Peabody) doubled down the right field line and scored on a double by freshman shortstop Alicia Gardner (Athol).
The Owls scored their final three runs in the fifth inning on four hits, with the bases empty and two outs. Katie Gorman (Feeding Hills) and Adrienne Walker (Springfield Sci-Tech) rapped run-scoring singles.
Allen was the only player with multiple hits in the Owls’ balanced eight-hit attack. She was 2 for 3 with two doubles and two runs scored.
Salem first baseman Michelle Enos barely beats Allison Allen to the bag
for the final out of the first inning. It was the only at bat Allen did not get
a hit as she was 2 for 3 with two doubles and two runs scored.