AUBURNDALE, Fla. – Endicott finished their season-opening trip to the RussMatt Central Florida Invitational on Saturday afternoon by splitting a pair of games with NESCAC opponent Trinity.
Endicott (5-3) won the second of two seven-inning games 6-3 after falling in the opener by a 12-0 score. Trinity saw their record stay even at 7-7 with the split.
The Gulls will now prepare for their home opener on Tuesday, which is at 3:30 pm at North Field against Worcester State.
Game 2: Endicott 6, Trinity 3
Lefty Zac Poland (Essex Junction, Vt.) pitched a complete game, allowing just three runs in the ninth inning after Endicott had opened up a 6-0 advantage.
The Gulls scored single runs in each of the first two innings, then opened the game up further with a three-run third.
E.J. Martinez (Brooklyn, N.Y.) singled home freshman first baseman Corbin Hyde (Lewiston, Maine) to start the game and Cody Hall (Rutland, Mass.) knocked home Greg Heineman (Wilbraham, Mass.) an inning later.
Sophomore second baseman Harry Oringer (Dartmouth, Mass.) continued his strong showing in Florida with an RBI single to plate Hyde for the second time on the day. Michael Cahill (Plymouth, Mass.) get the rally going with a double to score Martinez and then crossed the plate himself on a single by freshman right fielder Steve Morganelli (Milford, Mass.).
Heineman brought in Cahill in the top of the sixth with a base knock to extend the lead to 6-0.
Trinity, who was outhit 9-6 by the Gulls, made the game close in the ninth inning on a two-run triple by left fielder Marc Crowley (Andover, Mass.). Crowley then came in to score on a sacrifice fly by Adam Moossmann (East Northport, N.Y.), but that was all the Bantams would manage as Poland shut the door on the victory.
Senior Ben Goldberg (Plainview, N.Y.) took the loss on the mound for Trinity after allowing three runs on three hits and three walks with no strikeouts over two and a third innings.
Game 1: Trinity 12, Endicott 0
The Gulls managed just two hits, one by Cahill and one by Tim Brutto (Worcester, Mass.), and couldn't solve sophomore pitcher Sean Meekins (Rockville Center, N.Y.), who went five innings and picked up the victory.
The Bantams scored three runs in the first inning and had grabbed a 7-0 lead by the end of the fourth.
Catcher Robert Ferrara (Fairfield, Conn.) was 2-3 with three RBIS and two runs scored for the Bantams, who had 14 hits in the game.
Outfielders Alex Almeida (Bridgeport, Conn.) and Michael Rueger (Teaneck, N.J.) set the plate at the top of the order, with each of them scoring runs in the first. Almeida added RBI singles in the second and third, both innings in which third baseman Dylan Callahan () crossed the plate.
Endicott freshman Mike Walkowicz (Amherst, Mass.) took the loss, allowing five runs over five and a third innings.
