BEVERLY, Mass. – The Endicott softball team swept visiting Nichols College (6-3, 8-4) in the Gulls' final Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) doubleheader of the regular season Monday evening at the Softball Field.
GAME ONE – Endicott 6, Nichols 3
Freshman pitcher Laura Somerville (Suffield, Conn.) earned the win with a complete-game effort in the circle for the Gulls. In her 11th start of the season (17th appearance), Somerville scattered six hits, allowed three runs (one earned), and issued one free pass as she matched her career-high with seven strikeouts to bump her record to 7-3 on the year.
Sophomore pitcher Kendall Meehan (Danvers, Mass.) took the loss (3-4) on six innings of work, eight hits, six runs (five earned), no walks and one punchout.
Trailing 3-1 in the bottom of the fourth, Endicott erupted for four runs in the frame via home runs from freshman designated player Hayley Arduini (Southington, Conn.) and senior third baseman Samantha DiBella (Danvers, Mass.). Arduini gave the Gulls a 4-3 advantage with a three-run bomb to center field, her sixth of the season, while DiBella hit a missile over the left field fence with the bases empty to make it 5-3.
Senior left fielder Jamie Corda (Higganum, Conn.) went on to provide Somerville with an insurance run in the when she drove in senior catcher Emily Hoffman (Malden, Mass.) from second base with a two-out single to left field.
Nichols threatened in the top of the seventh as freshman left fielder Callie Andrews (Southbridge, Mass.) notched a leadoff single (bunt) to third, but Somerville squashed the potential rally from the Bison with back-to-back strikes out (both swinging) and a fly out to left field to lock up the win.
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
- Arduini is tied for third in the CCC with six home runs this season.
- Arduini went 2-for-3 with two runs scored, a double, one home run, and three RBIs.
- Corda also produced a multi-hit game (2-for-3, one run, one RBI) in the win.
- DiBella was 1-for-2 with one run scored and two RBIs (sac fly in the second, HR in the fourth) on the day.
- Hoffman had her eight-game hit streak snapped as she went 0-for-3 (FC, GO, ROE) with one run scored.
FOR THE FOES
- Zoe Chevrette (Wilbraham, Mass.) gave Nichols a 1-0 lead in the first with an RBI single to left field, while the Bison scored two more in the second on a throwing error.
- Meehan was 2-for-4 in the loss (only multi-hit game for the team).
GAME TWO – Endicott 8, Nichols 4
Senior pitcher Courtney Blake (East Islip, N.Y.) twirled a complete-game in the tail end of the doubleheader to finish off the sweep for the Gulls against Nichols. Blake allowed seven hits, four runs (three earned), issued zero walks and also struck out four hitters to move her record to 11-7 on the season (16 starts, 19 appearances).
Junior pitcher Meghan Sears (Tewksbury, Mass.) shouldered the loss (5-9) through four innings in the circle, as she was tagged with seven runs on seven hits while walking three.
Endicott scored at least one run in the first four innings to jump out to a 7-0 advantage early on in the matchup.
Hoffman highlighted the scoring for the Gulls with a solo home run (second of the season) to left field in the third, while sophomore center fielder Casie Beauchemin (Lincoln, R.I.) and junior second baseman Chrissy Gikas (Danvers, Mass.) added RBI singles in a three-run fourth inning for Endicott, which helped blow the game open to 7-0 at the time.
Nichols responded with four runs in the fifth inning, however, to bring the game within a three-run homer.
The Bison scored their first run of the frame on an error before Meehan ripped a two-run single up the middle and advanced to second on a throw home to cut into their deficit at 7-3. Chevrette then followed with an RBI single up the middle of her own to plate Meehan, but Blake settled down with a ground out and a fly out to keep the score at 7-4.
In the last two innings, Blake tossed a pair of 1-2-3 frames to clinch the sweep.
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
- Endicott is 10-4 at home this season.
- In the bottom of the first inning, Gikas gave the Gulls a 1-0 lead in the contest when she scampered home on a wild pitch.
- DiBella and Beauchemin then made it 3-0 in the second as DiBella lifted a sacrifice fly to center field, before Beachemin laid down a successful suicide squeeze bunt down the third base line later in the frame to score sophomore shortstop Danielle Stratton (Agawam, Mass.).
FOR THE FOES
- Meehan paced the Bison with a pair of singles and drove in two runs while scoring one of her own.
- Senior pitcher Hayley Fountain (Warren, Mass.) came in to replace Sears and allowed one run on zero hits, walked one and struck out two in two innings of relief.
NOTES
- The Gulls are 34-2 all-time and 19-0 at home vs. Nichols, as the Bison beat the Gulls for the first time in 11 meetings with a doubleheader split last season in Dudley, Mass. on April 12, 2015.
WHAT'S NEXT
Endicott (21-14, 14-4 CCC) and Nichols (14-20, 6-12 CCC) have earned berths to the CCC Tournament beginning Saturday, April 30th as No. 7 seed Nichols will take on No. 6 seed Eastern Nazarene in the play-in game. No. 2 seed Endicott awaits the winner of No. 3 seed Salve Regina/(No. 6 Eastern Nazarene/No. 7 Nichols) in a game to be played at Endicott on Monday, May 2nd at a time to be announced. For the latest on Endicott Athletics, follow the Gulls on social media on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.