Softball Downs Bears to Advance, Fall to Lancers in MASCAC Semifinals

WESTFIELD, Mass. – The MCLA Softball team continued its Cinderella run in the MASCAC Playoffs this afternoon, first facing off with the Bridgewater State University Bears for the right to make the semi-finals, and then taking on the second-seeded Worcester State Lancers. Hailey Peabody homered, and Hannah Gilbert threw a complete game four-hitter before the Trailblazers' run came to an end in the second game of the afternoon.

THE BASICS:

• Date: Friday, May 8, 2026
• Game #1: MCLA 6, Bridgewater 2
• • Records: MCLA Trailblazers 20-19 (MASCAC 6-10) | Bridgewater State University Bears 18-22 (MASCAC 8-8)
  • Series History: Bridgewater State leads the all-time series 63-27. The Trailblazers and Bears split a doubleheader in North Adams on April 18th. MCLA won the opener 1-0, and then the Bears rallied to take the second game 3-2. Bridgewater took both ends of a doubleheader the first time the teams met on April 8, 1984, in North Adams, by scores of 6-0 and 7-0.
• Game #2: MCLA 1, Worcester 13
• • Records: MCLA Trailblazers 20-20 (MASCAC 6-10) | Worcester State University Lancers 25-15 (MASCAC 13-3)
  • Series History: Worcester State now leads the all-time series 63-34, including both ends of a doubleheader this past weekend in North Adams by scores of 4-3 and 9-6. The teams first met on May 8, 1973, but the results have been lost to history.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Game #1
  • The Trailblazers set the tone for the first game, scoring a pair of runs before recording their first out in the top half of the first inning. Hailey Peabody (W. Springfield, MA) led off with a single through the left side of the infield and advanced to second when a pitch hit Nevaeh Lopez (Pittsfield, MA). Maggie Closinski (Rome, NY) then loaded the bases by dropping a bunt down in front of the plate and legging it out. Hannah Gilbert (Colrain, MA) walked on five pitches, forcing Peabody home with the first run, and Lopez came home with the second on Paxton Ebling's (Pittsfield, MA) fielder's choice to the shortstop.
  • Peabody extended the Trailblazers' lead in the second inning with a two-out home run that snuck just inside the left field foul pole. The homer was the senior's fourth of the season and the seventh of her career.
  • The Bears scraped back one run in each of the third and fourth innings. In the third, Angelina Lynch led off with a triple and then scored on Sydney Schaefer's sac fly. In the fourth, BSU pieced together a two-out rally that ended with Arihana Mercado's single through the right side of the infield, plating Victoria Becker.
  • MCLA added on three insurance runs in the top of the seventh. Peabody opened the inning with a five-pitch walk and moved to third on Lopez's single through the right side of the infield. Closinski then laid down another bunt, with the Trailblazers executing a suicide squeeze as Peabody was off with the pitch and crashed through with the fourth run. Two batters later, MCLA pulled off the same suicide squeeze, this time with Ebling laying down the bunt and Lopez scoring the run and Closinski moving to third. After Ebling stole second, a third squeeze by Allie Mienaltowski (Delanson, NY) became a sac bunt, but scored Closinski for a 6-2 lead.
  • Gilbert then closed out the game with a 1-2-3 seventh inning. The first-year pitcher improved to 10-8 on the season, throwing a complete game four-hitter, allowing two runs, one earned, and striking out seven against one walk. Olivia Hargreaves also went the distance for the Bears, but took the loss after allowing six runs on eight hits.
• Game #2
  • The Trailblazers scored first in their second game of the afternoon when Gilbert drilled the first pitch of the second inning high into the trees beyond the left field fence.
  • The Lancers responded with multi-run innings in the second, third, and fourth innings. In the second inning, they posted six runs on five hits, including a two RBI single back through the box by Cali Brouillard and RBI hits by Amanda Adamuska, Emma LaPoint, and Morgan Keefe. The last run scored on Zoie Stevens' sac fly.
  • WSU's third inning consisted of five more runs on four hits, the big blows being doubles by Bailey Tammaro and Stevens. The fourth inning runs scored on an RBI single by Brouillard and a groundout by Adamuska.
  • Peyton Maloney got the win for the Lancers, allowing only two hits while striking out three to up her record to 10-5. Gilbert absorbed the loss for the MCLA, finishing her season with a 10-9 record.

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE

• The Trailblazers 20 wins are the most for the program since 2013, when they went 21-22. This season was also the first time that MCLA has posted a non-losing record since they went 23-15 in 2001.

STAY CONNECTED:

For the latest on MCLA Athletics, follow the Trailblazers via our social media platforms on Facebook, Instagram, or X (formerly Twitter).