March 25, 2006
SALISBURY, MD - The Endicott Gulls were back in action today when they faced the St. Joseph's (ME) Monks in a double-header in which they were able to avoid a sweep when they won the second game by a score of 9-5. They lost the first game of the day 3-0. Erik Fields (Swampscott, MA/Swampscott) got the start in the first game and pitched superbly going six innings while allowing just four hits and had six strikeouts. Ian Parkinson (Peabody, MA/Peabody) had his second start of the season in the second game and after a shaky first inning he settled down and finished with 11 strikeouts in seven innings.
The first game was a tough one for the Gulls when they faced Monks ace Charlie Furbush (South Portland, ME/South Portland). Furbush finished with six innings pitched recording 10 strikeouts while walking three batters and allowing two hits. The first hit of the game for the Gulls was recorded by senior Mark Vaughan (North Reading, MA/North Reading) in the top of the fifth inning with a single to left field. Junior Steve Vidmosko (Shelton, CT/Fairfield Prep) recorded the other hit off of Furbush in the next inning also with a single to left. Junior Joe Orlando (Gloucester, MA/Gloucester) got the only other hit of the game recording a double in the top of the seventh that also went to left field. Also performing well for the Monks in game one was sophomore Andrew Good (South Portland, ME/South Portland) who had two hits, a run scored and two RBI's.
The second game provided a much better performance out of many of the Gulls. In addition to Parkinson's stellar pitching performance, senior Matt Bishop (Woburn, MA/Woburn) went two for four with a double and a home run, sophomore Gavin Softic (Athol, MA/Cushing Academy) recorded three singles and two RBI's. Freshman Mike Sorrentino (Waltham, MA/Waltham) reached base every time that he came to the plate recording three walks, his first collegiate hit and two runs scored. On a down note for one Gull in particular, Vidmosko, his four game hitting streak was snapped.
The Gulls were able to put the second game away in the seventh inning in which they only had a one run lead before the inning started. They left the inning with a six run lead in which the Gulls had six consecutive batters reach base and five of those batters scoring. One interesting play that led to three runs and essentially the game for the Gulls was when sophomore Adam Labbe (Litchfield, ME/Oak Hill Regional) was up with the bases loaded and only one out. Labbe hit a ground ball to Monks third baseman Mark Clapp (Blue Hill, ME/George Stevens Academy). Clapp tried to turn a double play to get the Monks out of a big jam and the inning but ended up throwing the ball into center field. Dustin Spiller (Gorham, ME/Gorham) then fielded the errant ball off of the ground and tried to throw the ball home to catch Vaughan at the plate. The ball ended up getting away from catcher Jake Rodden (Somersworth, NH/Somersworth) and this allowed Sorrentino to score all the way from first base. Those five insurance runs that were scored in the top of the seventh allowed the Gulls all the room that they would need to secure their second win of the season.
With the split of the double header the Gulls record now stands at 2-6 on the season while St. Joseph's record is 6-5. The Gulls finish their spring trip tomorrow when they are back in action against the Monks at Arthur W. Perdue Stadium (home of the Delmarva Shorebirds, Class A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles) at 10:00am.