Baseball Knocks Off Salem State in MASCAC Tournament

Box Score

WESTFIELD, Mass. -- Senior center fielder J.T. Mooney (North Attleboro) was 3 for 5 with a double, homer and three RBI, and senior pitcher Martin Anderson (Meriden, Conn.) threw a complete game to power Bridgewater State to a 9-3 victory over Salem State in the Massachusetts State College Athletics Conference tournament.

Bridgewater improved its record to 23-14 by winning the losers' bracket game. The Bears will play either Worcester State or Westfield State in Saturday's 4:00 p.m. game.

The loss was Salem's second in the double-elimination tournament and the Vikings ended their season with a 25-15 record.

Bridgewater jumped out to a 5-0 lead after three innings. The Bears had a three-run uprising in the third inning, highlighted by a two-run homer by Mooney.  The Bears tacked on three more runs in the fifth to take a comfortable 8-0 lead. Mooney rapped an RBI single in the inning.

In addition to his big day at the plate, Mooney also scored three times. He doubled in the seventh then scored Bridgewater's ninth and final run.

Anderson was cruising with a one-hitter when Salem freshman shortstop Ryan Kane  (Nahant) broke up his shutout bid in the seventh with a solo homer to right field. Anderson allowed six hits in the final three innings to finish with a seven-hitter that included three walks and nine strikeouts.

Senior standout Steve Smith (East Taunton) was Bridgewater's only other player with more than one hit; he was 3 for 5 with a double. Smith's double in the third inning was his 17th of the year as he tied the BSC single-season school mark set by Joe Florio in 1992 and equaled by Chad Cambra in 2003. Junior catcher Kelly LaDow (East Falmouth) had a double and two RBI.

Salem senior Ken Luongo (Wilmington) pitched the first three innings and was saddled with the loss. Luongo led the Vikings at the plate, going 2 for 4 with an RBI.