Baseball shutout in MASCAC twinbill at Salem

Courtesy of Salem State Sports Information

Salem, Mass. – Salem State cruised to two shutout wins over MCLA on Saturday afternoon at the Central Campus Baseball Field. In the first game, Ryan Hyjek (Tolland, CT) fired a two-hit complete game shutout as the Vikings won 5-0. Sean Buckland (Lynn, MA) followed with a four-hit shutout in game two as Salem State improves to 14-10 on the season and 4-0 in the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference. The Trailblazers are now 2-11, and remain winless in conference at 0-4.

Game 1

Salem State jumped on top early in the first game. After retiring the first two batters, Trailblazers' starter Robert Jutras (Readsboro, VT), ran into trouble, hitting Matt Burgess (Kingston, MA) and walking Brett Cahill (Gloucester, MA) to set up an RBI single by Ryan Beliveau (Lynn, MA). Salem State then loaded the bases, but Jutras avoided further damage by ending the inning with a groundout. The Vikings tacked on another run in the second, but wasted a golden opportunity after loading the bases with no outs. Richard Fecteau (Newbury, MA) plated a run with a sacrifice fly, but poor base running by Salem State prevented a big inning as the runner on second was thrown out trying to advance.

Salem State opened up the game up in the third, Ethan Trowt (Beverly, MA) provided the big blow, a two-run double, and Kevin Carens (Northborough, MA) added another run-scoring double to make the lead 5-0.

Meanwhile, Hyjek settled in to a groove, not allowing a hit after the third inning, and allowing only one runner to reach base, by walk, in the seventh. The senior struck out eight, and walked two in improving to 4-1 on the season. Jutras (0-3) finished the game for MCLA, allowing five runs on eight hits, with five walks.

Carens finished 3-for-4 with an RBI while Trowt, went 2-for-3 with two runs and two RBI for the Vikings. Mike Sullivan (Wareham, MA) and Chase Preite (North Adams, MA) had the only two hits for MCLA.

Game 2

In the second game, MCLA starter Mike Mancivalano (Pittsfield, MA) opened up the bottom of the first issuing back-to-back walks to Carens and Fecteau. Cahill brought home Fecteau with an RBI single and the Vikings led 1-0. Salem State plated another run in the third when Fecteau led off with a single, after two walks loaded the bases, Fecteau came home on a passed ball.

A sacrifice fly by Fecteau made it 3-0 in the fourth as Mancivalano pitched out of another jam to keep the Trailblazers in the game. MCLA wasted a lead-off double by Sean Coyle (Middleboro, MA) in the fifth, as Buckland got back-to-back strikeouts to end the inning. Tyler Benoit (North Adams, MA) came on in relief for the Trailblazers in the sixth and the Vikings added an insurance run on a Colton Fontaine (Newburyport, MA) RBI single.

MCLA put two runners on in the seventh, as Garrett Alibozek (Adams, MA) and Jared Gersch (Highland, NY) each singled, but Buckland got pinch-hitter Derek Lescarbeau (Pittsfield, MA) to strikeout to end the game. Buckland improves to 3-0 on the year as he struck out a season-high 10 batters while issuing only two walks. Mancivalano (1-2) took the loss, going four innings and allowing four hits, three runs and five walks.

Salem State will play UMass-Boston on Tuesday at 3:30 at home field while MCLA will play at Union College on Tuesday also at 3:30.