April 15, 2008
Game 1 Box Score - Game 2 Box Score
DUDLEY, Mass. - The Endicott College softball team swept Nichols College on Tuesday by the scores of 2-1 and 5-3 in Dudley, Mass during a The Commonwealth Coast Conference doubleheader.
Each team scored a run in the first inning before the game settled into a pitcher's dual. Gulls senior Danielle Sargent (Sabattus, Maine) reached on a walk and advanced to third on a pair of wild pitches before eventually scoring on a passed ball. Nichols sophomore Loren Rozanski (Plainville, Conn.) singled and went on to score off a single down the right field line by senior Joanne Brignoli (Feeding Hills, Mass.).
Nichols starter, freshman Lindsay Hassett (Oxford, Mass.), cruised through the next six innings, allowing just two hits while striking out six. Endicott senior Jenn Elwell (Tewksbury, Mass.) allowed just three hits, two of them coming in the second inning.
The Gulls scored the game-winning run in the top of the eighth when junior Casey Shanley (Billerica, Mass.) singled up the middle, scoring sophomore Sara Spaziano (Norton, Mass.) from third. Nichols senior Christina Palmerino (Southbridge, Mass.) advanced senior Stephanie Magni (Newton, Mass.) to third with a bunt single to start off the bottom of the eighth. Elwell got the Bison to pop up to third for the first out and sealed the win for Endicott with back-to-back strikeouts.
Elwell improves to 8-3 on the year with the victory as she gave-up just one run off seven hits, walked one and struck-out six in eight innings. Hassett falls to 5-3 despite giving up just two runs off three hits and striking out eight.
Nichols started the game off well as they piled on three runs in the first inning. Freshman Shaleese Young (Salt Lake, Utah) started the inning off with a single and was sacrificed up to second by Rozanski. After a single by senior Tracy Cullity (Manchester, N.H.) to move Young up to third, Brignoli hit a two-run triple down the right field line. Senior Lauren Person (Vernon, Conn.) hit a single to left center to drive in Brignoli as the Bison led 3-0.
Endicott would not go away easy as Maria Mangine (Lockport, N.Y.) hit a solo shot in the second inning to make the score 3-1. They tied the game in the fourth inning when Rachel Pearson (Gales Ferry, Conn.) led off the inning with a single and Meghan Sargent (Salisbury, Mass.) drove her home with a homeruns of her own. The Gulls put two more runs on the board sixth inning Mangine hit her second homerun of the day, this time a two-run blast to make it a 5-3 game.
Mangine tossed a complete game and only gave up the three runs off of four hits in the first inning. She only gave up two hits the rest of the way to improve to 9-0 on the season. Person pitched the complete game as well giving up five runs off of six hits. She falls to 6-2 on the season.
With the sweep Endicott improves to 26-3 overall on the season and 16-2 in the TCCC. The Bison fall to 15-10 overall and 12-2 in the conference. The Gulls will play again on Saturday, facing-off against a tough Wheaton College team in a doubleheader. The games are scheduled for 12:00 and 2:00 p.m. at the Endicott Softball Field in Beverly, Mass.
