BEVERLY, Mass. — The Endicott softball team walked off twice against the visiting Thomas (Me.) College Terriers in non-conference twin bill action by scores of 6-5 (8 inn.), 6-5, Tuesday evening at the Softball Complex.
GAME ONE: ENDICOTT 6, THOMAS 5 (8 INN.)
An early 2-0 lead for Endicott after one inning of play quickly turned into a 3-2 deficit in the top of the second before the Gulls regained the lead with a pair of runs in the bottom of the frame to take a 4-3 lead and extended that to 5-3 with another run in the third.
Thomas then knotted the game at five apiece in the fourth on sophomore shortstop Lexi Colpack's (Franklin, N.H.) two-run jack to left field.
A fifth-sixth-seventh inning stalemate sent the game to extras until junior shortstop Kayla Sheldon (Burlington, Mass.) drove in the game-winning run in the bottom of the eighth with her RBI single to right field to plate sophomore left fielder KK Palmerino (Glenmont, N.Y.).
Sophomore reliever Laura Somerville (Suffield, Conn.) picked up her team-leading seventh win of the season (7-4) as she took over for Gulls' freshman starter Rylie Strong (Arvada, Colo.) to begin the sixth inning.
GAME TWO: ENDICOTT 6, THOMAS 5
Thomas jumped out to a 5-0 lead after two turns at bat and looked to be cruising along until Endicott managed four runs with two outs in the bottom of the third, highlighted by sophomore center fielder Hayley Arduini's (Southington, Conn.) three-run blast over the fence in left field to cut the deficit to 5-4.
The Gulls then rallied for two runs in the bottom of the seventh to complete the doubleheader sweep, as junior first baseman Margaret Martzolf's (Port Saint Lucie, Fla.) RBI single to center field brought around junior pinch runner Danielle Stratton (Agawam, Mass.) to tie the game.
With the bases load and one out, sophomore Jamie Hopgood (Warwick, R.I.) sent a fly ball deep enough into centerfield to allow Arduini to score from third on the sacrifice fly as the Gulls walked off with their eighth straight victory.
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
- Endicott celebrated back-to-back walk-off victories for the first time this season.
- Endicott now has won five games via walk-offs this season.
- The Gulls are now 1-1 in extra innings on the year.
- Of Endicott's 23 hits through the two games combined, the Gulls recorded at least one in all 15 innings today, except for the first inning in Game 2.
- Hopgood extended her current streak of reaching base safely to 18 straight games.
- Arduini now owns a team-best three of the Gulls' eight home runs this year.
- Junior pitcher Mikaela Mallozzi (Shelton, Conn.) improved to 2-1 on the season in the circle in her third start (eighth appearance) in the complete-game effort in which she allowed five runs (one earned) on 10 hits with one walk and one punchout.
FOR THE FOES
- The Terriers were led at the plate by Colpack, who went 5-for-8 (two doubles, one home run) with three RBIs and three runs scored in the two games combined.
- Senior left fielder Madison Bentz (Algonquin, Ill.) tallied three hits in Game 1.
- Colpack homered for the first time this season (second career).
- Sophomore pitcher Sydney LeBourveau (Jericho, Vt.) was tagged with the loss (3-8) in Game 1 as she went seven-plus innings and allowed six runs (two earned) on 11 hits and issued three walks.
- Sophomore reliever Hayley Littlefield (Mt. Desert Island, Maine) was charged with a blown save in Game 2 to fall to 1-6 on the season, as she came into the game to begin the fifth inning with a 5-4 lead in relief of senior pitcher Chelsea Hale (Moreno Valley, Calif.).
NOTES
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The Gulls are now 5-0 all-time against Thomas and 4-0 at home, as Endicott swept the twin bill in the most recent meeting before today, 5-2 & 5-4, on March 31, 2016 in Beverly, Mass.
WHAT'S NEXT
Endicott (15-13, 8-6 CCC) welcomes Lesley to its campus on Wednesday, April 19th at 3/5 p.m. in non-conference action.
Thomas (4-18, 0-2 NAC) hosts Castleton on Saturday, April 22nd at 1/3 p.m. For the latest on Endicott Athletics, follow the Gulls on social media on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.
