Softball Defeated By MCLA Ten Inning, MASCAC Winners Bracket Marathon

Worcester, MA --- MCLA junior Amanda Meczywor (Adams, MA) and classmate Rachel Quackenbush (Hoosick Falls, NY) both connected on two-run homers in the top of the tenth to help propel the second-seeded Trailblazers to an 8-4 victory in ten innings over Worcester State in the winners bracket game of the MASCAC Tournament semifinals at Rockwood Park.

With the victory, MCLA (14-20) moves to the championship game on Sunday at 11 AM tomorrow. The Lancers (22-14) try to stay alive in the tournament when they take on fourth-seeded Salem State in an elimination game at 5 PM today.

The contest marked the second straight extra-inning affair for the Trailblazers who outlasted #3 Bridgewater State, 4-3, in 15 frames yesterday in North Adams.

Entering the tenth tied up 3-3 with the international tie-breaker in play and junior Angelica Perfido (Whately, MA) just 60 feet away, junior Julie Watson (Cold Spring Harbor, NY) swung at the third strike, but she advanced to first on a pitch that got by the catcher as Perfido came in for the go ahead score.

Meczywor and Quackenbush tacked on some insurance by knocked out a pair of two-run homers to put the Trailblazers up 8-3 entering the last of the tenth.

The Lancers attempted a rally as sophomore Rachel Couto (Chelmsford, MA) drove in classmate Courtney Salisbury (Cranston, RI) to start things off. WSU soon loaded the bases and brought the tying run in the form of senior Taylor Hanley (Wilmington, MA).

With two outs in the frame, Quackenbush bore down on her final hitter as she retired Hanley on a swinging strikeout to end the contest. 

It was a scoreless game until the top of the fourth when MCLA scored twice with the bases loaded. Junior Angelica Perfido (Whately, MA) plated classmate Abigail Lucas (Braintree, MA) and then Perfido came around to score on a clean single to left by Meczywor.

Worcester State sliced the deficit in half with two outs in the fourth, taking advantage of a misplayed ball in the infield by the shortstop for the 2-1 advantage as Couto touched home on the play.

The Trailblazers answered in the very next frame and added a key insurance run to go ahead by two when Perfido delivered an RBI single to score Quackenbush.

The Lancers came back and set-up a 3-3 stalemate with two unearned tallies in the bottom of the fifth.

Sophomore Hayley Terry (N. Dighton, MA) hit a shallow fly ball to the gap in right fielder, but it was misplayed allowing Salisbury to come home on the play. Couto followed by knocking home the equalizer on a single to centerfield, bringing in Terry.

Quackenbush and sophomore Kayla Humphrey (Wallingford, CT) pumped out zeros for three scoreless frames until the top of the tenth.

In the victory, Quackenbush (9-8) tossed 6 1/3 innings permitting three unearned runs on five hits to go with six strikeouts and a trio of free passes. She went over the century mark by fanning the final batter to end the game.

Humphrey (4-3) hurled the final six frames giving up five runs (four earned) on five hits while she walked three and recorded one punch out.

Salem State led in the hitting column, 14-9, as Meczywor paced the effort going 3-for-5 with a trio of RBIs. Quackenbush, Lucas, Perfido and Baily also had two base-knocks each.

Couto was 3-for-5 at the dish, knocking in a trio of runs while Pelletier and freshman Samantha Rivers (Leicester, MA) had two hits apiece.