STANDISH, Maine – In the team's final game before the start of the NCAA Division III New England Regional Tournament, Endicott baseball (30-14) fell to the championship from the GNAC, Saint Joseph's (Me., 28-13) by a score of 3-2 on the road. Freshman Cam Farnham (Andover, Mass.) produced a 4-for-5 day at the plate and extended his hitting streak to 16 games in the loss.
Farnham replaced teammate Tad Gold (Martha's Vineyard, Mass.) in centerfield, who is still sitting on a 15-game hit-streak of his own, and nearly tied the game in the top of the ninth with a single to right with a runner in scoring position but Monks outfielder Alex Lorenc (Nanuet, N.Y.) gunned out Gulls sophomore Josh Drew (Intervale, N.H.) at the plate to end the game.
Saint Joseph's (Me.) took a 3-0 lead after four innings of play but Endicott cut into the Monks lead with singular runs in the top of the fifth and ninth innings. In the fifth, the Gulls took advance of some miscues by the Monks as junior catcher Chase Sullivan (Cumberland, R.i.) reached on an error to lead off the inning, advanced to second on a groundout, then found himself on third base after a passed ball. Sophomore shortstop Cody Hall (Rutland, Mass.) delivered a double to right center to score Sullivan for Endicott's first run of the game.
In the top of the ninth and facing a two-run deficit, Endicott led off the inning with a double to left center off the bat of freshman third baseman Mike Kochiss (Fairfield, Conn.). Head coach Bryan Haley turned to pinch-hitter Taylor English (Barre, Vt.) who delivered with a run-scoring single through the right side of the infield to make it a 3-2 game. Drew pinch-hit for Sullivan and got on base by a fielder's choice that retired English at second base. Gulls sophomore Corbin Hyde (Lewiston, Maine) then drew a walk to put the game-tying run on second base.
Saint Joseph's (Me.) starting pitcher Nick Whittaker (Yarmouth, Maine), who had pitched 8 1/3 innings to that point with eight strikeouts, set down his ninth Endicott batter with another punch out to pull within one out of ending the game. The next batter, Farnham, gave the Blue and Green a chance to tie the game with a hit into the outfielder but an accurate throw by Lorenc ended the threat.
Gulls freshman Luke Morse (Westford, Mass.) started and allowed three earned runs on seven hits with a strikeout. Morse (5-5) gave way to sophomore righty Davarn Nova (Wareham, Mass.) in the bottom of the fifth who continued to pitch well late in the season with four shutout innings with one hit and one walked allowed.
On Monday, the NCAA will release the teams competing in the 2014 NCAA Division III Regional Tournaments. Endicott has already earned a spot in the New England bracket by way of winning the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) last Monday.