BEVERLY, Mass. – The Endicott baseball team grinded out an 8-6 win over Suffolk on Wednesday afternoon to improve to 16-4 this spring as sophomore Davarn Nova (Wareham, Mass.) struck out eight batters in six innings and senior centerfielder Tad Gold (Martha's Vineyard, Mass.) went 3-for-4 at the plate with two RBI and three runs scored.
Nova (2-1) allowed two runs, one earned, on just two hits and four walks and senior reliever Connor McLaughlin (Clinton, Mass.) was hold off a surging Rams offensive late in the game with his second save of the season.
McLaughlin entered the game in the top of the eighth with the bases loaded, walked in a run, recorded a strikeout, and saw Suffolk senior outfielder Mac Jacobson (Norfolk, Mass.) find the gap to clear the bases but Jacobson was gunned down at third base trying to stretch a double into a triple. Suffolk's four-run eighth cut the Endicott lead down to 7-6.
In the bottom of the eighth with two outs, the Gulls tacked on an important insurance run as junior Harry Oringer (Dartmouth, Mass.) singled through the left side and got into scoring position after Mike Kochiss (Fairfield, Conn.) was hit by a pitch. Gold followed by roping a RBI single to right that plated Oringer to make it an 8-6 game.
McLaughlin returned to the mount in the ninth looking for his second save and struck out two in the inning to help the Gulls improve to 9-3 in non-conference play.
Oringer finished with four hits in five trips to the plate with three runs scored. Kochiss found the gap in left center in the bottom of the first to score Oringer for Endicott's first run of the game. Gold and Matthew Paola (Middlebury, Conn.) added RBI hits in the inning as Gold singled home Kochiss and Paola doubled to left center to score Gold.
Jacobson led the Rams with a 2-for-5 effort at the plate with four RBI. Suffolk senior first baseman Jake Cintolo (Wrentham, Mass.) hit a solo shot to lead off the top of the sixth, blasting a Nova offering deep to left field. Rams freshman catcher Matthew Brenner (Eliot, Maine) drew a walk with the bases load in the eighth to start the four-run rally by Suffolk.
Endicott (16-4) continues their four-game non-conference stretch with an away game at North Shore Cup rival Salem State on Thursday, April 10th at 3:30 PM. Endicott is ranked fourth in the region while Salem State is receiving votes towards a top-eight ranking in New England.