Second Seed Softball Advances to MASCAC Tournament Championship Series with Wins over Salem and Westfield

Framingham, Mass. - The second seeded Framingham State University softball team defeated fifth seed Salem State 11-5 in an elimination game and then defeated top seed Westfield State 2-1 to advance to the Championship Series of the 2025 Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) Softball Tournament at Maple Street Field. The Rams will face third seed Worcester State tomorrow at home at noon and must defeat the Lancers twice to win the MASCAC Tournament Title. 

THE BASICS: 

- Scores:  Framingham State 11, Salem State 5 
Framingham State 2, Westfield State 1 

- Records: Framingham State (27-14), Salem State (18-20), Westfield State (32-11) 

- Location:  Maple Street Field – Framingham, Mass.    

INSIDE THE NUMBERS: 

Elimination Game 1: Framingham 11, Salem 5 

• The Vikings grabbed a 2-0 lead in the top of the first but the Rams responded in the bottom of the inning with three runs taking the lead for good.  Jocelyn Pepe singled home a pair of runs and Abigail Behrikis added an RBI single in the inning. 

• The Vikings closed the gap to 5-4 in the top of the fourth, but the Rams countered in the bottom of the inning with an RBI single from Pepe and a two run single from Eliza Carignan to push the lead to 8-4. 

• The Vikings plated a single run in the fifth, but the Rams added three in the bottom of the inning on an RBI single from Ellie Etemad-Gilbertson and a two run double from Makayla Rooney to reach the final margin. 

• Audrey Guathier earned the victory in relief going 6.2 innings allowing three runs, two earned, on seven hits with six strikeouts. 

• Carignan finished the game 3-for-3 with two RBI, while Pepe went 3-for-4 with two runs scored and four RBI. 

Elimination Game Two: Framingham 2, Westfield 1 

• The Owls got on the board first in the bottom of the second inning on a sacrifice fly to left from Amanda Slack. 

• The Rams were held scoreless until Carignan launched a two-run home run to left in the top of the fourth inning. 

• Gauthier, who got the start in the circle in game two, retired the Owls in order in the fifth and faced runners in scoring position for the Owls in both the sixth and seventh, but was able to work out of the innings to secure the victory.  Gauthier went seven innings allowing one earned run on four hits with eight strikeouts and just two walks. 

• Brooke Grassia went 2-for-3 for the Rams in the game, while Carignan went 1-for-2 with the game winning home run and two RBI. 

• Katherine Canty took the loss for the Owls, going four innings, allowing two runs, one earned, on three hits with six strikeouts. 

• Angelina Vartuli worked three innings of scoreless relief allowing just one hit.