Salem State Rolls Past Fitchburg State

Falcons fall 7-3 in game one; stopped 12-5 in game two

FITCHBURG, Mass. (April 8, 2010) - The Fitchburg State Softball team suffered a pair of losses this afternoon as it battled Salem State College in  a MASCAC doubleheader. The Falcons fell 7-3 in game one before falling 12-5 in game two.

Salem State 7, Fitchburg State 3

In the opener, Salem State held off a late Fitchburg State rally, rifling off 12 hits and seven runs for a 7-3 victory.

Junior Taylor Orlando (Danvers, Mass./Danvers)  led the Salem State offense with a 3-for-3 performance, a homerun and three RBI, while sophomore Katelynn Fanning (E. Boston, Mass./St. Mary’s) finished 3-for-4 with a double, one run scored and one RBI. Classmate Michelle Grifoni (Peabody, Mass./Peabody) was also strong with a pair of hits in the contest, while adding one RBI.

On the Falcons side, freshman Danielle Correia (W. Bridgewater, Mass./W. Bridgewater) was solid at the plate, going 2-for-3 with a double and a pair of RBI, while junior Nicole Monroe (Townsend, Mass./N. Middlesex) and freshman Jill Moses (Dedham, Mass./Dedham) ended with one hit a piece.

Salem State raced out to a quick 4-0 lead in the top of the first inning keyed by RBI base hits from Fanning and Grifoni, but Fitchburg State answered right back over the next two frames, scoring single runs in each inning to cut the Viking lead to 4-2. In the sixth, the Vikings tacked on a trio of  runs to post a 7-2 margin as Orlando connected for a three-run bomb. The Falcons made it a 7-3 contest in the last half of the seventh on Correia’s second hit of the game but Salem State was able close out the inning to secure their 17th win of the year.

Fanning picked up the win in the circle for the Vikings (8-3), allowing three runs (two earned) on four hits and striking out eight. Sophomore Allison Cousins (Leominster, Mass./Leominster) took the loss for the Falcons (1-3), yielding seven runs (three earned) on 12 hits and striking out one.

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Salem State 12, Fitchburg State 5

In game two, Salem State continued its hot-hitting, belting out 12 runs on eight hits for its third MASCAC victory of the season.

The Vikings jumped out to a quick 8-1 lead paced by Grifoni, who finished the contest 1-for-2 with a grand slam, four RBI and a pair of runs scored. Senior Amanda Scola (Leominster, Mass./Leominster) collected a 2-for-4 day at the dish with a triple and one RBI, while Orlando chipped in with a triple, one run scored and two RBI.

Fitchburg State got on the board first, taking a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning on a RBI base-hit from sophomore Ashley McKinnon (Raynham, Mass./Bridgewater-Raynham) but Salam State responded with 11 runs over the next two frames to grab a ten run margin. The Falcons cut the Salem State lead to 12-5 in the fifth frame on RBI hits by Trzcinski, Jenkins and McKinnon, but that was as close as Fitchburg State would come as the Vikings closed out the final two innings with scoreless pitching.

Freshman Sarra Bergeron (Methuen, Mass./Methuen) earned the victory for Salem State (6-1), posting ten strikeouts through five innings of work, while Monroe suffered the loss for the Falcons (2-6) allowing ten runs (seven earned) on four hits and striking out one.

Fitchburg State (4-14, 0-4 MASCAC) returns to action on Tuesday as it travels to Johnson and Wales University at 3 p.m. Salem State (18-5-1, 3-1 MASCAC) will travel to Gordon College on Wednesday at 3 p.m.

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