Bears are MASCAC champs

Bridgewater State will be making their first tournament appearance in seven years. Bridgewater State sports information

WESTFIELD, Mass. – Tournament MVP Joshua Ferreira pitched a complete game and was 3 for 6 with two doubles and three RBI, and Ian Williams was 3 for 6 with a grand slam, double and eight RBI to power Bridgewater State  to a 20-6 victory over Westfield State University in the MASCAC baseball championship game on Sunday.

Bridgewater (23-15) will be making its 13th appearance in the NCAA Tournament and first since 2004. Also, the MASCAC Tournament title was the Bears first since 2004 and fourth overall.

Westfield, the MASCAC regular season champion, finishes with a 22-22 record. The Owls battled through the loser's bracket and forced a deciding game with a 6-2 victory over Bridgewater earlier Sunday. But 39 innings played in two days was too much for the Owls.

Westfield actually led in the winner-take-all game, 4-0, after three innings. But Bridgewater erupted for eight runs on seven hits in the fourth frame to take control. Williams had one of his eight RBI in the inning on a run-scoring single. Ferreira delivered the game-winning hit, a two-run double down the rightfield line to make it 6-4.

The Bears scored five more runs in the sixth to take a 13-4 lead, with the big blow Williams' grand slam homer to left field. Bridgewater also scored five runs in the seventh when Williams pounded a two-run double. His eighth RBI came on an infield groundout in the eighth.

The Bears blasted 21 hits off seven Owl pitchers. Tyler Dennis was 4 for 5 with a double and three RBI and Keane Costa was 3 for 6 with a double and two RBI.

Ferreira allowed 10 hits and two walks and struck out 10 in going the distance.

Westfield leadoff batter Kevin Greene was 2 for 5 with a triple and two runs scored. Jeff Ackerman was 2 for 4 with two RBI and hot-hitting Josh Blair was 2 for 5 with two runs scored.

Ferreira batted .409 (9-22) over four games during the tournament with four doubles, a home run, nine runs scored and seven RBI. He also posted a .458 on base percentage as well as a .727 slugging percentage and picked up a win and a save on the mound as the Bears went 3-1.