BEVERLY, Mass. – The Endicott softball team hosted Curry on Thursday evening for a Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) double header matchup. In game one the Gulls soared to a 5-3 victory, highlighted by a two-run homerun from junior Sam DiBella (Danvers, Mass.). In game two sophomore Leigh Wyman (South Freeport, Maine) was one out from pitching a no-hitter as she settled on the one-hit, complete-game 3-0 shutout. Endicott improves to 7-7 (4-0 CCC) while the Colonels fall to 5-7 (2-2 CCC).
Endicott will take the field next tomorrow, April 3rd as they travel to CCC foe Roger Williams for a double header starting at 2:00 p.m. Curry will see action next on Tuesday, April 7th as they travel to UMass. Boston for a double header starting at 3:00 p.m.
Game One: Endicott 5, Curry 3
Game one was an absolute battle as the Blue and Green edged the Colonels 5-3 led by a complete game from junior pitcher Courtney Blake (East Islip, N.Y.) who improved to 5-2 on the season. Besides the two-run homer by DiBella, sophomores Chrissy Gikas (Danvers, Mass.) and Julia McNeill (Hauppage, N.Y.) also tallied RBIs in the triumph.
Endicott started the scoring early in the bottom of the first taking a 3-0 lead. McNeill blasted a ground-rule double to right field to send freshman Danielle Stratton (Agawam, Mass.) home from second. DiBella would step up to the plate next and crush her third homerun of the year, a two-run shot to close out the scoring.
The Gulls would add another run in the bottom of the fourth as Gikas singled to first base with junior Emily Hoffman (Malden, Mass.) third who was able to advance home for the 4-0 lead. In the following inning Endicott would make it 5-0 after McNeill crossed home plate after an error by the Colonels infield.
Curry worked to get back into contention in the top of the sixth adding two runs to make it a 5-2 game. Freshman Kevi Oatway (East Hartford, Conn.) grounded out to sophomore Hannah Graney (Acton, Mass.) allowing freshman Mikayla Lambert (Blackstone, Mass.) to head home. With a runner on third senior Allie Carver (Marlborough, Mass.) hit a single to send sophomore Marissa Bruno (Milford, Conn.) home for the 5-2 score.
Lambert would give the Colonels one more run in the top of the seventh on a RBI single to center but it would not be enough as Blake closed out the game to secure the victory.
Game Two: Endicott 3, Curry 0
Game two was a pitching battle as Wyman allowed just one hit in her complete game. The sophomore pitcher notched two strikeouts while throwing 80 total strikes on 118 pitches. With the victory Wyman improves to 2-1 on the season with her first shutout victory. Her counterpart, Lambert also threw a complete game earning five strikeouts on 29 batters faced in the tough loss.
Offensively the Gulls were led by freshman Margaret Martzolf (Port Saint Lucie, Fla.) who totaled two RBIs in the victory. Both sides were scoreless until the fifth inning when the Blue and Green totaled all three of their runs. To start off, Graney singled up the middle with runners on second and first to score junior Jamie Corda (Higganum, Conn.) from second base. On the very next play, Martzolf hit a ball up the middle allowing Graney and pinch runner, freshman Kayla Sheldon (Burlingotn, Mass.) to head home for the 3-0 lead.
Wyman would close out the game with sheer focus as she worked her way out of both the sixth and seventh inning with bases loaded. The sophomore hurled three 1-2-3 innings in a total of seven for the 3-0 triumph.
