Worcester, MA --- Salem State senior Katelynn Fanning (East Boston, MA/St. Mary's) was named the MASCAC Softball Tournament Championship MVP as the Vikings came through the elimination bracket to capture the 2012 crown with a 6-2 victory over Westfield State on Sunday afternoon at Rockwood Park.

Fanning twirled a one-hitter to help the Vikings take the first game of the day by a 5-1 decision to force the if-necessary contest.

Salem State (33-12), the tournament champion two of the last three years, will find out which regional it will compete via the selection show on NCAA.com at 10 AM. Potential sites include Eastern Connecticut State University and Amherst College. The Owls finish their 2012 season with a record of 21-20.

Fanning finished the tournament 2-0 with 20 strikeouts in 17 innings while allowing only one earned run. She also had a three-out save to her credit that sealed the 7-5 triumph over Bridgewater State in the elimination game of the semifinals.

Junior Lauren Garchinsky (Saugus, MA) snapped a scoreless game in the bottom of the third by sending a ball down the right field line to drive classmate Sarra Bergeron (Methuen, MA) from third and senior Michelle Grifoni (Peabody, MA), who came in from second on the throw back to the infield.

Salem State tacked on four runs in the bottom of the fourth for some insurance as junior Alyssa Bryan (Stoneham, MA) led off the frame drilling a solo shot to left field for her seventh homer of the season.

A trio of passed balls allowed senior Ashley Aldred (Arlington, MA), junior Christina Cipriani (Peabody, MA) and third-year Sarra Bergeron (Methuen, MA) to cross home plate as the Vikings opened up a 6-0 advantage.

With runners on the corners in the top of the sixth, Westfield State broke the shutout when senior Kerin DeGirolamo (North Attleboro, MA) scampered home on a double-steal.

In the top of the seventh, Owls sophomore Molly Dunbar (Weymouth, MA) sent a blast over the left field fence with two outs as she collected her fourth round-tripper of the season. But the rally would fall short as a fly ball ended the game to give Salem State the crown.

Fanning started the title game and would be relieved by Bryan in the second inning. Bryan (17-4) tossed the final five frames of the contest as she yielded five hits, two earned runs to go with four punch outs in the winning decision.

Bergeron and Griffoni each stole a pair of bases while Bergeron also scored twice as Bryan and Toussaint each had a pair of hits for Salem State.

DeGirolamo and freshman Vicki Hill (West Springfield, MA) each hit safely twice for the Owls.

Sophomore Kerry Alcott (Groton, MA) and senior Madeline Tomich (Alford, MA) each shared duties in the circle for Westfield State as the duo combined to strikeout seven batters. Alcott was dealt the setback as she finishes the campaign at 7-8.

Down 1-0 entering the third inning of the opener, Vikings junior Sarra Bergeron (Methuen, MA) led off the inning with a double to left center on the first pitch. Bergeron came around to knot the score on an RBI fielders' choice put into play by Grifoni. Senior Gabbie Vitale (Danvers, MA) then singled down the right field line to drive in the go-ahead run.

Grifoni scampered home on an RBI groundout off the bat of Garchinsky for some insurance before the outburst was then capped off by a two-run shot to left field by Bryan, for her sixth dinger of the season.

Westfield State would scored its lone run in the bottom of the second as freshman Breanne Bisceglia (Worcester, MA / Burncoat) put the ball in play for an infield ground out to plate sophomore Bri Eichstaedt (Southampton, MA).

After the third inning outburst by the Vikings, Fanning was outstanding as she would set down 13 of her final 17 batters. Salem State sophomore Paige Flemming (Methuen, MA) helped out her pitcher as she would gun down a pair of runners behind the dish.

Fanning (12-6) fanned nine and issued three walks in the one-hitter.

Tomich would shoulder the loss (12-9) as she surrendered five runs on five hits while setting down a pair of Vikings via strikeout as Alcott did not allow a run on three hits in 4 2/3 of relief.

The Owls defense turned a pair of double-plays to keep the contest close including a strike-out, caught stealing play that saw junior Brittany Dussault (Chicopee, MA) cut down a runner.

Vitale and Bergeron completed the opening contest with a pair hits while Vitale also swiped three bags for a team-leading 13 stolen bases.

Hill had the lone base-knock for Westfield State with a single to left to lead-off the bottom of the fifth.

Story by Mark Therrien '07 – Sports Information Correspondent

Story by Steven M. Miller, Jr. – SID, Worcester State University

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