BEVERLY, Mass. – The Endicott baseball team improved to 6-0 in their CCC schedule after a Friday doubleheader sweep over Wentworth, beating the Leopards 5-2 after eight innings of game one and 9-0 in game two. The Gulls are the first team in the CCC with 10 wins as they now sport a 10-7 overall record.
Endicott looks to continue their early-season success against conference opponents on Saturday, April 4th with a home doubleheader against Nichols (1-2, 0-0 CCC). The Gulls and Bison hold first pitch of game one at 12:00 p.m. from North Field. Wentworth (9-7, 2-2 CCC) looks to rebound on Thursday, April 9th with a non-conference road game at Mass. Maritime starting at 3:00 p.m.
Game One: Endicott 5, Wentworth 2 (8 inn.)
Endicott junior designated hitter Anthony Serina (Portsmouth, R.I.) hit his second homerun in as many games, a two-run shot in the top of the fourth to tie game one 2-2, and senior second baseman and captain Harry Oringer (Dartmouth, Mass.) hit a two-run go-ahead double down the left field line in the top of the eighth as the Gulls defeated Wentworth 5-2.
Wentworth tallied single runs in both the first and second innings off Gulls starter JJ Branch (Milford, Mass.) to take a 2-0 lead. In the bottom of the first, a RBI groundout to first by Leopards senior catcher Jake Mailman (Medway, Mass.) brought home senior second baseman Joe Hulme (Tewksbury, Mass.) who had tripled to right just moments earlier and one inning later, sophomore shortstop Jimmy Tempte (Northborough, Mass.) singled to center to bring home senior third baseman Scott Ouellette (Lewiston, Maine).
Branch took a no decision despite throwing 6 2/3 innings, allowing two runs (one earned) on five hits and two walks while striking out five. His counterpart, Leopards sophomore righty Aaron Denis (Dover, N.H.) pitched well for the majority of the game but did end up suffering the loss to fall to 3-1 on the year. Denis gave up five earned runs on eight hits and three walks with three strikeouts.
The win went to the CCC's reigning Pitcher of the Week and member of the D3Baseball.com Team of the Week, junior reliever Nick Quattro (Canton, Mass.) who pitched 1 1/3 innings and allowed two base runners on a hit and a walk with three strikeouts. Quattro improved to 3-0 on the season in relief.
Serina finished the game 3-for-4 with three RBI and a run scored. Two of his runs batted in came off his shot to left in the fourth but he also added a double to left center in the eighth for an insurance run after Oringer's two-run double broke the 2-2 tie.
Game Two: Endicott 9, Wentworth 0
A five-run top of the second for Endicott and seven shutout frames by senior left-handed starter Zac Poland (Essex Junction, Vt.) fueled a Gulls game two win 9-0 over Wentworth for their seventh win in nine games since returning from Florida.
Poland completed his second straight complete game by throwing 80 pitches, 54 for strikes, and not allowing a walk over his seven innings pitched. Poland scattered six hits and struck out two batters as he improved to 2-2 this spring.
Endicott loaded the bases with one out in the top of the second and scored five runs to jump out to a 5-0 lead on Wentworth. Sophomore centerfielder Cam Farnham (Andover, Mass.) chopped an infield single to first to bring home the first run which was followed by a sacrifice fly to left by freshman left fielder Michael DeDonato (Chelmsford, Mass.) to plate junior Nicholas De Lotto (Southbury, Conn.) who had doubled to lead off the inning.
The big damage in the top of the second was done on a single swing from Oringer who skied a ball deep to left and over the fence for his team-leading fourth homerun. The three-run shot also accounted for Oringer's team-high 16 RBIs.
Endicott tacked on another run in the top of the fifth off Wentworth freshman starter Robby Sheldon (Dover, N.H.) as Gulls junior shortstop Cody Hall (Rutland, Mass.) singled to center as De Lotto crossed home plate for the second time.
The very next inning, Endicott scored three more times on a two-run single to center by sophomore third baseman Mike Kochiss (Fairfield, Conn.) and a RBI groundout to first by Serina which made it 9-0 Gulls.
Sheldon (3-1) suffered the loss but Wentworth got a combined 1 2/3 solid innings of relief from senior Dakota Baird (Bermuda Dunes, Calif.) and sophomore Zack Bernier (North Dartmouth, Mass.).
Endicott totaled 13 hits in game two as De Lotto and Farnham each had three hits apiece and Oringer finished 2-for-3 with three RBIs and two runs scored. Endicott freshman outfielder Dan Zabbo (Dracut, Mass.) notched his first collegiate hit in his first collegiate at bat with a sharp liner to left in the top of the seventh.
