Salem, Mass. -- The Vikings of Salem State swept a doubleheader from the Bridgewater State Bears 5-1, and 4-3 on Friday afternoon in the MASCAC opener for both teams. In game one, Cato LaCroix (Hamilton, MA) pitched a stellar six innings, giving up five hits and just one run to earn the win. In game two, Salem State and Bridgewater State went extra innings before Richard Fecteau (Newbury, MA) knocked in Kevin Carens (Northborough, MA) with the game-winning hit in the bottom of the ninth. Salem State is now 11-5, 2-0 after winning their seventh straight. Bridgewater State slips to 3-9, 0-2.

Game One
Bridgewater State was the first to threaten in the third inning with men on first and second base, but second baseman Fecteau kept the game scoreless with a leaping catch to get his team out of the inning. In the bottom of the inning, Mike Davis (Peabody, MA) hit an RBI single into left field to give the Vikings a 1-0 lead.

In the fifth inning, Salem State's Andrew DeLoury (Andover, MA) would score on a wild pitch, while Fecteau added another run with a base hit to push the lead to 3-0.

The Bears would get on the board when Keaghan Austin-MacInnis (Lakeville, MA) scored on a double play, but the inning could have been bigger as a diving Ryan Beliveau (Lynn, MA), robbed Ryan Manning (Plainville, MA) on a shot up the middle to start the play.

George Tsonis (Peabody, MA) and Teaghan Malionek (Salem, MA) added insurance runs for Salem state in the sixth as each hit a sacrifice fly to give Salem State a 5-1 victory.

Matt Turmenne (Lynn, MA) came on to close the game for the Vikings while David Holmes (North Easton, MA) pitched six innings of eight-hit ball in the loss.

Game Two
In game two, Bridgewater State again threatened first when following a walk to Zack Ricciardi (Hanover, MA), Salem State's Davis made a nice running grab deep in the left field corner off the bat of Colin Ryan (Quincy, MA) and started a double play that picked off a retreating Ricciardi.

However, Nick White (Bellingham, MA) and Austin-MacInnis both hit RBI singles in the top of the third to give the Bears a 2-0 lead.

Salem State answered in the bottom of the inning when Fecteau smashed a single that brought in two runs to tie the game for the Vikings.

Vikings' starter Sean Buckland (Lynn, MA) pitched five and a third innings, giving up five hits and three runs before being lifted in the sixth after loading the bases.

Mike Richardson (Belmont, MA) came on in the sixth in relief for Salem State, and issued a walk to give the Bears a 3-2 lead. Meanwhile, the Bears' starting pitcher Adam Mullen (Fairhaven, MA) came out of the game in the sixth, having gone five and a third innings after allowing three runs on five hits with three strikeouts. Shane Surette (Haverhill, MA) came on relief with the bases loaded and Colton Fontaine (Newburyport, MA) tied it up for Salem State at 3-3 when he scored on a sac-fly by Andrew Deloury (Andover, MA).

Turmenne came on to close again, and pitched a scoreless one and two thirds innings before being replaced by Tim Woods (Wilmington, MA) in the ninth.

Surette was replaced by Ryan Hayward (Lynn, MA) in the bottom of the inning after issuing a walk to Carens. Following a walk to Davis, Fecteau lined a shot into center field for the game-winner.

Salem State will play its next game against UMass-Boston on Tuesday at 3:30 PM. Bridgewater State will play on Tuesday at home against Suffolk University beginning at 3:00 PM.