Baseball Earns 5-3 Win at Westfield State

THE BASICS

Salem State, 5 at Westfield State, 3

Records: 

Salem State Vikings (19-14, 15-7 MASCAC)

Westfield State Owls (14-23, 11-11 MASCAC)

Location: Westfield, Mass. - Hagan Field

Date: Friday, May 1, 2026

THE LEAD: The Salem State baseball team pushed its win streak to six games behind a 5-3 victory at Hagan Field on Friday afternoon.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• Salem struck first in the opening frame when the squad plated two runs courtesy of RBIs from Ethan Stepputtis (Prospect, Conn.) and Michael Buccaro (Guilford, Conn.). However, the hosts answered back in the bottom half of the third when the Owls had two RBIs courtesy of Alex Martin and Nick Lenfest. 
• Despite the Owls tying the game, the Vikings answered right back at the top of the fourth behind a Jonny Payne (Seekonk, Mass.) that tied the game, and then later, Jack Doyle (Salem, Mass.) crossed the plate after taking advantage of a wild pitch. 
• After letting up the two runs in the third, Salem starter Matt Walling (Plantsville, Conn.) shut down the Owls' offense that featured a stretch where he retired seven-straight batters from the bottom of the third through the sixth.
• The Vikes tacked on another insurance run in the seventh after Doyle ripped an RBI double to left center that allowed Aidan Lynch (North Andover, Mass.) to score after he singled earlier in the inning. While Westfield added another run in the bottom of the seventh, Walling did not allow another hit or run the rest of the way as the squad secured a 5-3 win.

 INSIDE THE NUMBERS: 

• Four different Vikings finished the day with one RBI, including Stepputtis, Buccaro, Doyle, and Payne.
• Walling earned the win after tossing the second complete game of his career while allowing five hits, three runs, and striking out two. He has now thrown a complete game in back-to-back starts.
• Westfield saw three different hitters record an RBI (Martin, Lenfest, and Colin Ryan).
• Andre Phaneuf took the loss by going 4.0 IP while allowing six hits, four runs (two earned), and striking out three.
• Salem outhit Westfield, 13-5.
• The Vikings have now won the last two matchups against the Owls.

UP NEXT:

Salem and Westfield wrap up their three-game series tomorrow afternoon when the Blue and Orange host Westfield in a doubleheader starting at noon.