By Jim Fenton
BRIDGEWATER, Mass. -- The Bridgewater State University softball season ended on Wednesday afternoon when the Bears were unable to hold a three-run lead.
BSU opened a 6-3 advantage over Salem State University, but the Vikings scored two runs in the fifth inning and two more in the sixth to overtake the Bears.
Fifth-seeded Salem State eliminated fourth-seeded BSU, 7-6, at Alumni Park in the play-in game to open the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference tournament.
The Bears, who had won seven of their last eight games in the regular season, finish with a 19-18 record.
The Vikings improved to 18-18 and will play in thedouble-elimination portion of the tournament starting Thursday afternoon at top-seeded Westfield State.
It marks the second straight year that BSU has been eliminated in the play-in game by Salem State.
"It hurts," said Bears coach Angela Vecchione. "We gave it to them with some plays. What can you do?"
BSU had the three-run lead after overcoming an early 3-0 deficit, but Salem State battled back to advance in the tourney.
In the top of the fifth, the Vikings moved within 6-5 with a pair of runs.
Salem State loaded the bases when senior Dawn Eisnor (Medford, Mass.) and freshman Gianna Fowler (East Haven, Conn.) singled and freshman Abigail Richardson (Bluefield, W. Va.) bunted for a hit.
Sophomore Alaina Giuliano (Malden, Mass.) walked to get one run home and a fielder's choice on a ball hit by junior Allison Frost (Auburn, Mass.) cut the deficit to one run.
In the sixth, sophomore Samantha Gaona-Sullivan (Billerica, Mass.) singled and the tying and go-ahead runs were scored on back-to-back doubles to left by graduate student Taylor McDermott (Durham, Conn.) and freshman Tara Perryman (San Juan Capistrano, Calif.).
BSU threatened in the bottom of the seventh, but was unable to tie the game.
Senior Riley Fitzgerald (Swansea, Mass.) drew a walk and went to third on a wild pitch. But a groundout ended the game and the Bears' season.
Salem State held a 1-0 lead in the first as BSU starter Lily Gagnon (East Haven, Conn.) walked the first three batters of the game and Eisnor had an RBI single.
The Vikings made it 3-0 in the second on a two-run double to left by McDermott.
The Bears scored a run in the second when sophomore Sidney Schwartz (Chelmsford, Mass.) hit the first home run of her career to left field.
BSU went up, 5-3, in the third, scoring four times with two outs.
Sophomore Sydney Schaefer (Swarthmore, Pa.) was hit by a pitch and senior Amelia Blake (Raynham, Mass.) singled to right.
A single to right by Fitzgerald scored a run and she stole second. An infield hit off the glove of the third baseman by Gagnon brought in two runs and Schwartz had an RBI triple to center.
The lead went to 6-3 in the fourth when junior Victoria Becker (Abington, Mass.) led off with a homer to left, her first of the season.
That was the last run of the season for BSU, which managed one hit in the final three innings.
Junior Gracie Martineau (Westminster, Mass.) improved to 10-6 with four shutout innings of relief. She struck out three and gave up one hit.
Sophomore Olivia Hargreaves (Weare, N.H.), who followed Gagnon and senior McKayla Cusack (West Haven, Conn.) in the circle, took the loss for BSU. She gave up two runs and five hits in two innings and is 7-6.
Becker and Schwartz had two hits each for BSU while Eisnor went 3-for-4 and McDermott had two hits and three RBI for Salem State.
The Bears lose four players to graduation and will look to build on the late-season success in 2026.
"We lose four who were important players," said Vecchione. "We have to make sure we're ready to compete. It's going to be about the grinding and them working hard.
"We've had our moments where we needed to refocus and regroup and reset the tone and culture.
"They have consistently worked to get through everything. Their growth has been tremendous this year."