Owls Softball Falls in MASCAC Tournament Final

WESTFIELD, Mass.  –  Defending league champion Framingham State battled back through the elimination bracket to sweep a pair of games from top-seeded Westfield State by scores of 3-0 and 10-2 in the championship round of the 2024 Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference softball championship at the Westfield State softball field on Sunday afternoon.

With the win Framingham also earns the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III tournament.

On a cool and overcast Mother's Day, the second-seeded Rams' pitching limited the Owls bats all afternoon. Senior SP Ally Moran (Wilmington, Mass.) tossed a 1-hit shutout in the opener. An infield single from Owls DP Janna Jose (Middlefield, CT/Coginchaug) to lead off the sixth inning was the lone hit of the afternoon for the Owls.

In the nightcap, tournament MVP Gwen Carpenter (Ashley Falls, Mass./Mt. Everett) launched a grand slam home run in the second inning, and senior 1B Kelsey McGuill (E. Longmeadow, Mass.) powered a 3-run opposite field shot to provide the walk-off dramatics in the sixth inning to give the Rams the win and the tourney title via the 8-run rule.

In the opener, Framingham C Talia Duca (Hudson, NH/Alvirne) reached on a two-out, two-strike solid single through the left side and Haley Jensen (Meriden, Conn./Francis T Maloney) lofted a double to the base of the left-field wall that scored Duca all the way from first to open the scoring in the second inning. 

The rams added a single run in the fifth when Jensen reached on an error, and later scored on Makayla Rooney's  (Peabody, Mass.) base hit.   Framingham added another insurance run in the seventh as Victoria Connelly (West Deptford, NJ) singled with 1-out, went to third on Carpenter's double, and scored on another base hit from Rooney.

Rooney finished 2-4 with two rbi and Carpenter was 2-4 at the plate.

Moran had the Owls off balance at the plate all afternoon, yielding just the one hit, walking one and striking out three.

Westfield starter Katherine Canty (Natick, Mass.) (L, 11-4) took the pitching loss for the Owls, working three innings and allowing one run and striking out three.   Canty split the game with Stephanie Scoville (Northfield, Mass./Pioneer)  who worked four solid innings, allowing four hits and one earned run.

The Rams bats exploded in game two.   McGuill connected for a line-shot of a 2-run home run to center field in the bottom of the first to stake the Rams to a 2-0 lead.

Carpenter launched a grand-slam to left center field to improve the lead to 6-0 in the bottom of the second.

Westfield finally answered with two runs in the fifth inning after stranding a pair of runners in both the third and the fourth innings.   In the fifth, Arielle Ostman (Woodbury, Minn.) led off with a single, moved to second on a ground out, and scored on Sarah Hough's (Southwick, Mass.) base hit down the left field line.    Hannah Wodecki (Southampton, Mass./Hampshire) followed with a fielders choice, and a single from Sarah Bingham (Reno, Nev. Wooster) and a base hit up the middle from Mia Alfonso (Dalton, Mass./Pittsfield) plated the Owls' second run of the day.   

Rams SP Caroline Hughes (Canton, Mass.)   (W, 11-10) sent the Owls down in order in the sixth, before Framingham tacked on four more runs as Duca singled to lead the inning, Carpenter reached on a single, and Rooney reached on an error that scored Duca, setting the stage for McGuill's opposite field shot that ended the game.

Hughes allowed eight hits and two earned runs. She struck out three and walked none in six innings of work.

McGuill finished 3-4 with five RBI, a double and two home runs. Carpenter was 2-4 with four RBI, and Rooney, Duca and Jensen each finished with a pair of hits.

Bingham and Ostman each had two hits for Westfield.  Canty (L,11-5) again started but worked just one inning before being relieved by Gianna Conte (Greenfield, Mass.) and Scoville.

Westfield was seeking its first conference tournament title.  The Owls were making their ninth appearance in the MASCAC Tournament championship round.  Westfield suffered 1-run losses to the Rams in the 2018 (1-0) and 2017 (5-4) Championship games.

The Owls set a school record for wins in a season with 28.  Westfield came into the game with a modest 5-game winning streak, dating back to April 30.

Framingham earned its third straight MASCAC tournament title and it's sixth in the last seven championships.

The NCAA Tournament selection show will be Monday, May 13 at 11:00 a.m. on NCAA.com.