Baseball Splits Home Twinbill With Worcester State

THE BASICS 

Score: 
GM 1 – Salem State University 4, vs. Worcester State, 0
GM 2 – Salem State University 4, vs. Worcester State, 8

Records: 
Salem State Vikings (7-8, 3-2 MASCAC)

Worcester State Lancers (8-9, 6-1 MASCAC)

Location: Salem, Mass. - Central Campus Baseball Field

Date: Saturday, April 4, 2026

THE LEAD – The Salem State baseball team kicked off a three-game series with Massachusetts State Athletic Conference (MASCAC) member Worcester State with a doubleheader split Saturday afternoon. In the opening contest, the squad blanked the visitors, 4-0 but dropped the second game, 8-4.

HOW IT HAPPENED (GM 1)

• Both sides went scoreless in the first two innings, but in the third, Salem struck first when Yabdriel Gonzalez (New Haven, Conn.) drove in the first run with a two-out RBI. Worcester State threatened in the fourth and fifth innings when the Lancers had at least one runner on base, but Vikings starter Nolan Currier (Maynard, Mass.) escaped each jam unscathed and preserved the one-run lead.
• The Vikings broke things open in the fifth when the squad plated three runs, highlighted by a two-run RBI single off the bat of Owen Duggan (Billerica, Mass.) that made it 3-0 at the time. In the final inning, the Lancers had a chance to cut into the deficit with runners on first and second, but Vikings pitcher Brandon McMahon (Malden, Mass.) came in and retired the next two Worcester batters to secure a 4-0 win.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS (GM 1)

• Duggan led the Salem offense with two RBIs in the first contest. He has now recorded at least one RBI in three of his last five games. 
• Jonny Payne (Seekonk, Mass.) tied his career-high in hits with a team-high two.
• Currier earned his third win of the season by going 6.1 IP while allowing two hits, no runs, and fanning five.
• Gavin Price earned the loss for Worcester after tossing five innings while allowing four runs and striking out five. 
• Salem's defense forced three double plays in the opening game.

HOW IT HAPPENED (GM 2)

• In game two, Worcester's bats were active early as the Lancers scored seven runs in the first three innings. Tyler Normandie highlighted the early offense with a three-run RBI double that found a gap in left field, which made it 6-0 at the time.
• The Vikings slowly chipped away at the seven-run deficit with a two-run fourth inning thanks to RBIs from Jack Doyle (Salem, Mass.) and Aidan Lynch (North Andover, Mass.). 
• Worcester plated another run in the fifth to go up 8-2, but in the bottom half of the seventh, Salem tried to create a late rally when Ethan Stepputtis (Prospect, Conn.) ripped a two-run RBI single past the Lancers' diving second baseman to make it an 8-4 contest. However, Lancers starter Jack Hildred ended the threat by generating the final out for an 8-4 win.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS (GM 2)

• Stepputtis led the Vikes offense with two RBIs in game two. He has now recorded an RBI in two of his last four contests.
• Lynch had his fourth multi-hit game of the season after finishing with two hits on the day.
• Salem starter Collin Tenney (Woodbridge, Conn.) earned the loss after going 1.1 IP while giving up four hits, six runs, and striking out one.
• Normandie led the Worcester offense in game two with four RBIs.
• Hildred earned the win for the Lancers after tossing a complete game while allowing seven hits, four runs, and striking out five.

UP NEXT 

Salem kicks off a three-game road trip with a MASCAC doubleheader at Bridgewater State on Tuesday, April 7, at 3:00 p.m.