WESTFIELD, Mass. – The Westfield State University softball team is set to enter the first round of the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference playoffs.
The Owls (18-18 overall; 10-4 in MASCAC) hold the three seed and will host the sixth place Salem State Vikings (9-25 overall; 5-9 in MASCAC) on Tuesday, May 3, with first pitch scheduled for 2:30pm.
Westfield went on a tear in the month of April, winning 15 of 20 games to help get them back to .500. The Owls hold the tiebreaker with Framingham (also 10-4 in MASCAC) as they had split their season series with the number two seed Worcester State Lancers, 1-1, Framingham was 0-2 against the Lancers on the year, giving the Owls the edge and the third seed in the tournament.
Their team batting average rests at .313, with an on base percentage of .380, and 17 homeruns over 36 games. With 212 runs scored (second in the conference), they score an average of just under six runs per game.
Senior outfielder Colleen Hughes (Hanson, Mass.) has been one of the top threats at the plate for this Owls club. With a batting average of .436, good for third highest in the MASCAC, Hughes also finds herself second in the MASCAC in RBI with 35.
Lindsay Cordopatri (Walpole, Mass.) finds herself in the top three the MASCAC in batting average, stolen bases, and runs scored. Cordopatri is batting .439, good for second, and her 19 stolen bases has her at third in a category that she won last season. She leads the conference in runs scored at 42.
Westfield's top two arms have been sophomore Stephanie Scoville (Northfield, Mass.) and first year Katherine Canty (Natick, Mass.). Scoville leads the team in innings pitched with 87 and owns a 4.02 era on 100 hits and 68 strikeouts. Canty has thrown 68.1 innings, surrendered 66 hits, and struck out 62, with an earned run average of 2.36.
On Salem's side, their offense holds a team batting average of .249, with 123 runs scored over 34 games (3.6 avg), and their top bat has been sophomore infielder Mackenzie DeSantis. DeSantis leads the Vikings in nearly every statistical category, with a batting line of .395avg/.432obp/.645slg. Her team leading 32 RBI is tied for third most in the MASCAC, and she has also launched four out of the Vikings five homeruns this year.
Salem's ace Emily Carter has thrown 138 innings out of 210 innings played for the Vikings this year. Her ERA sits at 5.78 with 80 strikeouts over 29 appearances including 17 complete games. She has proven to be a workhorse for this Salem team.
The winner of this contest will face off against the two seeded Worcester State Lancers on Thursday in Worcester.
-Written by Evan Levrault, Sports Information Intern