WINTER HAVEN, Fla. – The Endicott baseball team took on fifth-ranked Birmingham-Southern at Chain O'Lakes at the RussMatt Central Florida Invitational and fell victim to the long ball, losing 13-2 as the Panthers knocked three homeruns including back-to-back bombs in the eighth inning by senior Jacob Mayfield (Gadsden, Ala.) and sophomore Zach Wingate (Atlanta, Ga.).
Endicott (1-4) welcome an off-day on Wednesday before returning to spring break action on Thursday, March 19th against UMass Dartmouth at Pat Thomas Stadium in Leesburg. First pitch is at 11:30 a.m. against the Corsairs who are currently 4-1 overall.
Birmingham-Southern (15-1) led 2-0 going into the top of the fifth after sophomore outfielder Sasm Roberts (Johns Creek, Ga.) recorded RBIs in the first and third innings but quickly went up 5-0 after a three-run shot over the left centerfield wall by senior David Bourbonnais (Atlanta, Ga.). Bourbonnais was a terror at the plate all game long, going 5-for-6 with four RBI and a run scored.
The Panthers scored four runs in both the eighth on back-to-back homeruns by Mayfield and Wingate and a RBI single from Jacob Drescher (Auburn, Ala.) and another four tallies in the ninth inning off the Gulls bullpen.
Endicott's only offensive production came in the bottom of the eighth as the Gulls scored twice off Panthers reliever, freshman Luke Anderson (Section, Ala.). Endicott junior catcher Josh Drew (Intervale, N.H.), who had a strong defensive game behind the dish, led off the inning with a bloop single to right for his second hit of the game. He was followed by an infield single to the right side by junior shortstop Cody Hall (Rutland, Mass.) and a base hit through the left side by sophomore leadoff man Cam Farnham (Andover, Mass.).
Senior captain Harry Oringer (Dartmouth, Mass.) roped a ball up the middle that scored pinch-runner Michael DeDonato (Chelmsford, Mass.) for Endicott's first run and junior outfielder Matthew Paola (Middlebury, Conn.) hit a sacrifice fly to plate Hall from third base.
Farnham, Paola, and Drew each had multi-hit games in the loss.
Birmingham-Southern starting pitcher Paul Caudill (Nashville, Tenn.) earned the win by going seven inning strong, allowing just four hits while striking out five batters. He walked just one batter.
Endicott ran out eight different pitchers which freshman Brady Hall (Rockville, Md.) turning in the most efficient performance of the bunch, going two scoreless innings while allowing two hits, two walks, and striking out four batters.
