April 15, 2009
PAXTON, Mass. - Led by the hitting of Meghan Sargent (Salisbury, Mass.) and the solid pitching of Jackie Collier (Swampscott, Mass.) the Endicott College softball team swept a The Commonwealth Coast Conference doubleheader versus Anna Maria College on Wednesday afternoon. The sweep improves the Gulls to an impressive 24-4 overall and 15-1 in the TCCC, while the AMCATS fall to 7-22 on the season, remaining in the playoff hunt at 6-10 in the Conference.
Sargent (Salisbury, Mass.) had five RBI and five runs scored on the day including a grand-slam in game two, while junior Jenna Lazar (Milton, Mass.) led all players with five hits on the afternoon . On the mound, sophomore Jenna Bortolotti (Milton, Mass.) threw six strong innings to earn the win in game one, allowing just two runs while striking out six. Collier kept the Anna Maria bats quiet in game two, scattering five hits through five shutout innings to earn her tenth win of the season.
Anna Maria was led by Alyssa Boykin (Worcester, Mass.) who had four hits on the day, including a 3-for-3 showing in game one. Mary Moroski (Worcester, Mass.) also continued her hot hitting by going 2-for-5 with a double, while Dominique Marchand (Mendon, Mass.) had two hits and an RBI for the AMCATS in the first game.
Game one was a pitcher's duel between Anna Maria's Nicole Hackenson (Mendon, Mass.) and Endicott's Jenna Borolotti until the 5th inning, when Endicott's Casey Shanley (Billerica, Mass.) and Merry McDonald (Braintree, Mass.) broke the game open with back-to-back home runs over the left-center field fence. The Gulls added six runs in the sixth inning to win by mercy-rule, 11-2.
Endicott struck early in the second game of the twin bill, plating three runs in the first inning, two scoring on a double by Endicott second baseman Sarah Spaziano (Norton, Mass.). The Gulls struck for eight more runs in the third inning thanks to a bases clearing three-run double by Lazar and a grand slam by catcher Meghan Sargent.
Anna Maria's best opportunity came in the 5th inning when Ashley Scionti (Prospect, Conn.) singled to left with one out. After a fielder's choice, Becky Mercurio (Worcester, Mass.) and Alyssa Boykin singled, leaving the bases loaded with two outs. But Endicott's third baseman Kathryn Walsh (Milton, Mass.) made a nice play on a Moroski ground ball to solidify the 13-0 win by mercy-rule.
Anna Maria will be back in action tomorrow versus Wheelock at 4:30 pm. Endicott will travel to face New England College on Saturday starting at 12:00 pm.
