BEVERLY, Mass. – The Endicott baseball team handed CCC opponent Roger Williams their first conference losses of the season on Monday, defeating the Hawks in a doubleheader 4-0 and 11-0 at North Field as the Gulls improved to 15-4 (7-1 CCC) this spring. Reigning CCC Player of the Week Harry Oringer (Dartmouth, Mass.) went 4-for-6 with three runs scored, two RBI, and two walks in the two games to lead the Blue and Green's offense.
Endicott returns to their non-conference schedule starting on Wednesday for a single, nine-inning home game against GNAC foe Suffolk. First pitch against the Rams is at 3:30 PM at Endicott's North Field. That game will be followed by a road game against North Shore rival Salem State on Thursday and a home double-dip with NESCAC, regionally-ranked opponent Amherst on Saturday.
Game One: Endicott 4, Roger Williams 0
Junior lefty Zac Poland (Essex Junction, Vt.) turned the best collegiate start of his career, spinning a complete-game shutout and allowing just four batters over the minimum as he surrendered four hits with no walks while striking out six. Poland (3-0), after seeing some struggles early this spring, has watched his ERA tumble from 5.56 to 2.42 after not allowing an earned run over his past 14 2/3 innings.
Endicott took the lead early in game one as senior Tad Gold (Martha's Vineyard, Mass.) roped a single to center that scored Oringer from second base with two outs in the inning. The next inning, sophomore Steve Morganelli (Milford, Mass.) walked to lead off the bottom of the second then stole second to get into scoring position. After back-to-back outs, Morganelli swiped third base and later scored on an infield single by freshman Cam Farnham (Andover, Mass.).
With Poland setting down the Roger Williams lineup, the Endicott offense was back at it in the fourth with Morganelli again on base. Morganelli walked to get on base, stole his third base of the game, and reached third on an infield single by Mike Kochiss (Fairfield, Conn.). Sophomore shortstop Cody Hall (Rutland, Mass.) laid down a bunt down the third base line and reached safely as Morganelli raced home for Endicott's third run.
The Blue and Green would score their final run in the bottom of the fifth on a 1st-and-3rd double steal as Gold swiped second and sophomore infielder Matthew Paola (Middlebury, Conn.) took home on the throw to second.
Game Two: Endicott 11, Roger Williams 0
In game two, senior first baseman Brett Holmgren (Middleboro, Mass.) went 2-for-4 with three RBI and both Farnham and Paola scored three runs to lead the Gulls to the landslide victory. On the mound, senior pitcher Tyler Hill (Las Vegas, Nev.) went five strong innings, allowing three hits and three walks with two punch outs to secure a 3-1 record on the year. Endicott was also able to benefit from five Hawk errors in the field to help accumulate offense.
Hill was followed by freshman Eric Nagle (Manchester, Conn.) and senior Connor McLaughlin (Clinton, Mass.) who allowed just two base runners on a walk and a hit batter to close out the game.
Oringer, who had two RBI in game two, started off the scoring in the bottom of the first as blasted a line-drive triple just off the centerfielder's outstretched glove that plated Farnham from first base to make it 1-0. Oringer would score on a RBI groundout by Holmgren on the very next play. Later in the inning, senior catcher EJ Martinez (Brooklyn, N.Y.) found the gap in right center for a RBI double, scoring Paola who had singled up the middle one batter earlier.
Endicott's next trip the plate saw Oringer double to left center, but a misplayed ball in the outfielder by the Hawk left fielder allowed Farnham to once again score from first base instead of holding on third.
Endicott opened up the scoring in the third and fourth innings, stretching their 4-0 lead to 11-0, as RBI hits by Paola, Holmgren, and Farnham as well as a bases loaded walk by Oringer all contributed.