SALEM, Mass. – Salem State earned a crucial two-game sweep of Worcester State in a MASCAC doubleheader on Sunday afternoon. The Vikings received stellar pitching performances from Andrew McLaughlin (Peabody, Mass.) and Stephen Keskinidis (Stoneham, Mass.), who combined to allow just one earned run as the Vikings won 4-1 and 2-0.
THE BASICS
April 22, 2018
Central Campus
Records: Salem State (17-13, 6-4 MASCAC) | Worcester State (10-21, 5-5 MASCAC)
GAME ONE: Salem State 4, Worcester State 1
McLaughlin threw seven innings and allowed just one run with four strikeouts as Salem State defeated Worcester State 4-1 in game one.
The Vikings reached the scoreboard first in the bottom of the first on an RBI single by Brendan Greene (Winchester, Mass.).
Salem State made it 2-0 in the second as Zac Duval (Middleton, Mass,) brought in Alex Toomey (Beverly, Mass.), who had walked with a single.
McLaughlin quieted the Lancers over the first four innings, not allowing a hit until Colin Medeiros (Fall River, Mass.) singled to right field in the fifth. Following another base hit by William Roberge (Warwick, R.I.), Chadd Richardson brought home Worcester State's first run with a sacrifice fly.
The Vikings added another run in the bottom of the fifth as Shawn Rebello (Milford, Mass.) clubbed a long ground rule double to straight away centerfield, scoring pinch-runner Kyle Connor (Lynn, Mass.) with Salem State's fourth run.
The Lancers' attempted to rally in the seventh using a hit and an error to put two men on with one out. However, McLaughlin induced two fly ball outs to preserve the 4-1 victory.
Kyle Sullivan (Hudson, Mass.) went the distance for Worcester State, allowing four runs on 12 hits with three strikeouts.
Joe White (Bellingham, Mass.) went 3-for-3 with a triple while Greene finished the game 3-for-4 with two RBI.
GAME TWO: Salem State 2, Worcester State 0
Pitchers Ryan Belinskas (Worcester, Mass.) and Stephen Keskinidis (Stoneham, Mass.) dueled in game two, as neither starter allowed a run over the first four innings.
Salem State finally broke through in the fifth as doubles by O'Connor and Toomey scored the first run of the game for the Vikings.
A Mac Daniel Singleton (Everett, Mass.) double and RBI single by Jose Cedano (Lawrence, Mass.) made it 2-0 in favor of Salem State in the sixth.
Keskinidis, who only allowed single hits in the fourth, fifth and seventh innings, completed his second shutout of the season, firing a complete game three-hitter with six strikeouts and a walk.
Belinskas allowed eight hits, but just two earned runs with a strikeout for the Lancers.
Singleton and O'Connor had two hits apiece for Salem State.
UP NEXT
The Lancers host Becker tomorrow in a 4 p.m. non-conference tilt before returning to MASCAC play on Tuesday (Apr. 24) when they host Fitchburg State in a doubleheader starting at 2 p.m.
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Release Courtesy of Salem State Sports Information