BOSTON, Mass. — The Endicott softball team made quick work of host Wentworth Institute of Technology Saturday afternoon at Carr Diamond with a pair of five-inning conquests (15-0, 10-1) to complete the Gulls' first Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) doubleheader sweep of the season.
GAME ONE: ENDICOTT 15, WENTWORTH 0 (5 INN.)
Endicott scored 12 runs in the second inning, thanks in part to sophomore left fielder Hayley Arudini's (Southington, Conn.) ground-rule double to drive in junior shortstop Kayla Sheldon (Burlington, Mass.) with one out. Arduni then got up for the second time in the inning and smacked her second career grand slam (first this season) as the Gulls sent 17 batters to the plate in the frame.
The Gulls added two runs in the third inning on a sacrifice fly from freshman Peyton Atkins (Goshen, N.Y.) and an infield single from senior Lindsee Allienello (East Providence, R.I.) and scored one more in the fourth on an RBI single from freshman Rachel Usen (Bolton, Mass.).
Freshman starter Michaela Hamill (Lynn, Mass.) improved to 2-1 (second start) on the season with a one-hit gem with three walks and a career-high five punchouts to earn her first career shutout in the complete-game (five innings) effort.
GAME TWO: ENDICOTT 10, WENTWORTH 1 (5 INN.)
Offensively, the Gulls kept the pressure on as Arudini followed up her Game 1 performance with a team-leading three RBIs on two hits (one double) with two runs scored in the second game.
Leading 5-1 heading to the top of the fourth, Endicott put up a five-spot as back-to-back one-out doubles from Arudini and sophomore KK Palmerino (Glenmont, N.Y.) pushed across four runs before Atkins' RBI single plated Palmerino with the Gulls' final run of the day.
Junior pitcher Mikaela Mallozzi (Shelton, Conn.) earned her first win in the circle this season (1-0) as she tossed five innings of six-hit softball and allowed one run to go with one free pass and four strikeouts.
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
- The Gulls snapped their nine-game losing streak with a pair of conference wins today.
- Five RBIs in a single inning by one student-athlete is the most-ever for Endicott in at least this decade going back as far as the archives lend themselves to fact-checking this feat.
- Arudini now leads the team with 11 RBIs on the season.
- Five doubles for Endicott in Game 2 is the most the team has had in a single game this season (also team's most since five doubles against Salve Regina on 04/21/15).
FOR THE FOES
- Senior utility player Kelsey Gorski (Killingworth, Conn.) had the lone hit for the Leopards in the fifth inning of Game 1 and scored Wentworth's only run in Game 2.
- Junior outfielder Vanessa Weymouth (Freemont, N.H.) had two of the team's six hits in Game 2, including one double.
- Sophomore pitcher Hayley Rutkey (Burnt Hill, N.Y.) was handed both losses today to fall to 0-8 in the circle on the season.
NOTES
- The Gulls are now 33-0-1 overall and 15-0 on the road all-time against the Leopards dating back to April 7, 2001.
- Endicott has won 14 straight against the Leopards, including a doubleheader sweep last season (6-0, 13-0 (6 inn.)) on April 24, 2016 in Beverly, Mass.
WHAT'S NEXT
Endicott (6-10, 2-4 CCC) returns home tomorrow (Sunday, April 9th) at 12:00/2:00 p.m. when the Gulls hosts Salve Regina on Senior Day!
Wentworth (0-15, 0-8 CCC) travels to Salve Regina on Tuesday, April 11th at 5:00/7:00 p.m. For the latest on Endicott Athletics, follow the Gulls on social media on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.
