The Worcester State Lancers have claimed the top seed in the 2016 Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference Softball Tournament which starts on Thursday with the first round of play.
Earning the first round bye with Worcester State is second seed Bridgewater State. Third seed Westfield State and MCLA face off in the first round Thursday at 3:30 pm while fourth seed Fitchburg State hosts fifth seed Salem State at 4. The winner of Westfield State/MCLA will play Bridgewater State Friday at 4 in the quarterfinals then the winner of Fitchburg State/Salem State will play Worcester State at 5 pm with it then becoming double elimination play.
The games will continue on Saturday at Worcester State beginning at 11 am with the semifinals and then the championship on Sunday with the winner earning the MASCAC's automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament.
Winning the regular season title and the top seed in the tournament, Worcester State closed out the regular season with a 12-2 MASCAC record. Sydney Despres led the MASCAC in batting average (.527), RBI (49), home runs (13), doubles (20), on-base percentage (.569) and slugging percentage (.992). In the circle, Meghan Rich tallied nine wins, 35 strikeouts and a 2.79 ERA.
Bridgewater State lands in the second seed with an 11-3 record at the conclusion of league play. Kelly McCarthy was solid at the plate and in the circle for the Bears. She led the league in ERA (1.32), wins (19), complete games (22), shutouts (6) and second in strikeouts (101) while helping her own cause at the plate with 29 RBI, three home runs and a .420 batting average.
Securing the third seed with a 10-4 mark in conference action is Westfield State. Maddy Atkocaitis led the Owls with a .496 batting average, fourth best in the league, while also netting the second best slugging percentage at .822 with 10 doubles, seven triples, 30 runs scored and 26 RBI.
Fitchburg State ends up in the fourth slot with a 7-7 record during the MASCAC season. Galen Kerr was solid in the circle for the Falcons with 10 wins, 2.54 ERA, 96 strikeouts, 15 complete games, six shutouts and two saves during the regular season.
Rounding out the field is Salem State and MCLA in fifth and sixth, respectively. The Vikings tallied six wins during the conference schedule. Jess Raymond led the squad with a .412 batting average, 22 RBI, four doubles, two triples and .506 slugging percentage. The Trailblazers netted five wins during the MASCAC regular season. Pitcher Rachel Quackenbush had another solid year, leading the conference in strikeouts (137), strikeouts per game (7.51) with the second best ERA (1.92) and six wins on the season.
During the 2015 tournament, second seed MCLA beat fourth seed Salem State 6-0 to win the MASCAC Softball Tournament and earn a spot in the NCAA Tournament.
Release Courtesy of Emily Diekelmann | MASCAC Director of Media Relations